Princess of Tennis
by AquaJet
Summary: Sakuno joins the girls' tennis team. Not only are the girls a bit weird but the are fun to be around. The guys aren't the only ones who are talented tennis players in Seigaku. RyoSaku and other pairings.
1. I'm a Regular?

**A/N: Hi everyone. I'm back with my new fic featuring the whole female OC gang from "Princess of Tennis" and "2****nd**** Year Princess". Everything is basically the same. The pairings, the school, and their personalities are still the same.**

**Though it will be funnier, more romantic, and Kawamura is included! Also I'm borrowing the beginning except I'm making a few changes.**

**The two fics will not be the same because this fic will be better and improved; I'll make sure of that.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoT. Fudge cakes, how many times to I have to say that?**

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Sakuno was looking at the tennis fields, watching Ryoma play with Momoshiro. She had tried copied his form but her form turned out to be a little rough and needed more practice. It looks pretty simple but is actually more complicated than it looks.

Sakuno sighed and walked away towards the girls' tennis courts because today was the day where you get examined to join and maybe even become a regular.

She already had her pink racket on her hand and was headed towards the courts _'I wonder if I'll ever become great like Ryoma-kun…' _she thought to herself.

Sakuno went to a secluded area where she could be alone for a while. She served her tennis ball at the wall and kept hitting it to the same spot over and over again. _'I need more power…'_ Sakuno hit the tennis ball harder.

"You're really good. Would you like to be a regular in the girls' tennis team?" An upperclassman asked Sakuno.

Sakuno then turned around and saw a very beautiful upperclassman in front of her. The girl was averaged sized, strangely light blue wavy hair, and had a noble presence yet she was emotionless, you could see it in her violet colored eyes.

"A-Ano, I don't think I'm that good" Sakuno said, playing with her suddenly interesting hem of her skirt.

"What's your name? Mine is Kumiko Usio but you can call me Kumiko-san or Kumiko-sempai if you prefer." She said, showing a small yet emotionless smile.

"R-Ryuzaki Sakuno," Sakuno managed to say.

Usio only nodded and took her wrist then headed towards the courts. She then had a talk with the captain. The captain smiled and walked over to Sakuno with a warm and welcoming smile. The captain was pretty tall and simply beautiful. She was like a goddess. She had long, smooth black hair and wonderful light blue eyes that sparkled.

"Hi my name is Momoko Katou. Usio-chan told me that you are pretty good in tennis. So I decided to test you out. Do 3 matches with our top non regulars and you can fill in the last regular spot…if you win all 3." Katou smiled at her.

"B-But, I don't think I'm that good." Sakuno slightly blushed.

"You can only tell when you had a match. Now come on." Katou then motioned her hand as a sign to come along.

**~After the matches~**

1st match: Ryuzaki 6 games to love

2nd match: Ryuzaki 6 games to love

3rd match: Ryuzaki 6 games to 1

Sakuno couldn't believe she just beat 3 of the top non-regulars so easily but she didn't get her hopes up because they weren't regulars.

All of the other regulars started to hug Sakuno and welcome her into the team.

"Hello, Sakuno-chan, I am the vice captain, Fujimoto Emi." She said with a smile. Emi was too tall to be average but too short to be tall. She had medium length lemon colored hair and very pretty hazel eyes. She seems to smile somewhat more than others and kind of reminded Sakuno of Fuji's creepy yet constant smiling.

"I'm Miharu Amane and I'm a regular as well. It's nice to meet you." She said shyly. This one had a pretty big bust but she was very pretty. She had straight silky hair with bangs that covered her forehead and had really dark colored eyes.

"Pleasure to meet you, I am Miharu Sakamoto. Thank you for the interesting…data." She said with a business smile while writing something in her purple notebook. This girl was tall and slim. She had straight short black hair that would resemble a well groomed guy and her eye color would be a very dark blue color. She resembled Amane. And she resembled Inui in some ways like writing in her notebook but Sakamoto looked like a rich girl.

"Hey, I'm Yamada Natsume." She waved weakly at Sakuno. This girl had slanted, dangerous yet pretty looking eyes that were golden colored like a cat's. She was pretty tall and had wild red colored hair that sadly reached only to her shoulders.

"Hi Sakuno-chan, I'm Nankashima Yumi and this is my sister Airi!" She said very loudly. This girl was like an angel. Her height was shorter than average and she looked childish. She had brown hair with light brown eyes that shined in the sun.

"Um…hello" Airi said. This girl looked more mature compared to her sister and even was a bit taller. She had the same colored hair but her eyes were dark green.

"You already met me and the captain." Usio said smoothly.

"Um, please take care of me!" Sakuno said rather quickly as she bowed.

"Your very spunky…I like it." Katou said happily with a smile and patted Sakuno's head.

"Hmm…more data" Sakamoto mumbled as she once again wrote in her purple notebook (wonder what she's up too…)

"I LOVE IT TOO!" Yumi said (or yelled).

"Well, practice is over and I think everyone should go home." Amane suggested.

"Wait, I promised Kunimitsu that we would play against his team." Katou said.

"WHAT!?" The team complained.

"Well let's move on to the men's courts and here is who you are going to face." Katou said as she handed a piece of paper randomly to each regular.

_**Ryuzaki Sakuno vs. Echizen Ryoma**_

_**Momoko Katou vs. Tezuka Kunimitsu**_

_**Fujimoto Emi vs. Fuji Shusuke**_

_**Yamada Natsume vs. Kawamura Takashi**_

_**Miharu Sakamoto vs. Inui Sadaharu**_

_**Amane/Yumi vs. Oshi/Eiji**_

_**Airi/Usio vs. Momo/Kaido**_

They all started to head towards the men's tennis courts to go play their matches before they go home. Sakuno really didn't want to play Ryoma because she thought that he would think that she was copying his style and possibly get mad at her. But they still had to play regardless of whether they wanted to or not since the captain's word is absolute.

'_But at least I get to play against Ryoma-kun'_ Sakuno smiled at the innocent thought.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	2. A Regular Match part 1

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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"Captain?" Sakuno called out.

"Yeah, Sakuno-chan?" Katou replied, looking at her.

"Um…are you…Tezuka-sempai's…g-girlfriend?" Sakuno blushed. She wanted to know why her captain called Tezuka by his first name without a suffix. She thought that they might be in a relationship or something.

"Well I'm his friend and I'm a girl so yeah I guess." Katou replied.

"Actually, Captain here is Tezuka-san's childhood friend. And Katou, by girlfriend she meant as in couples." Sakamoto read right off from her notebook.

"Oh, then Kunimitsu and I are just buddies." Katou smiled.

"I see…" Sakuno calmed down. _'But…she looks so happy when she hears his name…'_ Sakuno thought as they got close to the men's courts.

"Nyaa, its Katou-chan!" Eiji said as he got out of the courts and glomped Katou.

"Eiji get off me!" Katou complained.

"Eiji, get off of Momoko now or else its 30 laps around the court." Tezuka said.

"Nyaa, the captain is no fun." Eiji pouted as he got off of Katou.

"Anyway, Kunimitsu, let's have a match!" Katou got up and smiled. Tezuka nodded at the request.

"Hmm, you seem really happy, Neko-chan." Emi smiled at her best friend.

"Isn't it natural to be happy?" Katou asked. Emi sweat dropped. _'It's hard to tease Neko-chan sometimes…' _Emi thought silently.

"Saa, why are you here?" Fuji directly asked Emi instead of Katou.

"Katou said that we were going to have a match against you guys. Is that alright?" Sakamoto asked with her business smile on of course.

"I see…so who goes first?" Fuji smiled as he asked the question.

"First let's formally introduce ourselves. I'm Momoko Katou, a third year and the captain of the girls' regular team." Katou smiled and bowed.

The boys looked at their captain who seemed very calm. _'Wonder if they're dating…'_ they briefly thought.

"I'm Fujimoto Emi, a third year and vice-captain of the girls' regular team." Emi smiled and waved weakly.

Fuji smiled at Emi. Emi blushed and looked away. The boys started at the genius. _'Is he trying to flirt with her…?' _they briefly thought.

"Miharu Sakamoto, third year and regular of the girls' tennis club." Sakamoto bowed.

'_She's got to be related to Inui…she even has a notebook…'_ the boys stared at Inui and Sakamoto.

"Yo, this is Nakashima Yumi a third year regular! But you can call me Yumi-chan!" Yumi said energetically as she glomped her younger sister.

The boys looked at Eiji. _'They could be twins separated from birth…'_ they briefly thought to themselves.

"And this is my younger sis, Airi-chan, is a second year. Don't try to flirt with her or else she'll get shy!" Yumi hugged her already embarrassed sister. Airi waved and then tried to get out from Yumi's grasp.

"Um…I'm Miharu Amane, third year and regular of the girls' team. I'm Sakamoto's cousin." Amane bowed and backed away shyly. Yumi glomped her and said something about her being too shy.

The boys looked at Amane and Sakamoto. _'Too much of a difference, are you sure they're related?'_ they thought to themselves.

"Kumiko Usio, a second year and a regular." Usio said plainly while sketching something.

"Yamada Natsume, a third year and a regular." Natsume said as she took a peek at what Usio was sketching.

Tezuka stood out, introducing himself first. "Tezuka Kunimitsu, a third year and the captain of the boys' tennis team." Tezuka bowed.

'_Hot looking and cool but too stoic…and probably the captain's future husband…'_ The girls looked at Katou. Katou gave them a questioning look but they stayed silent.

"Oishi Shuichiro, a third year and vice captain of the boys' regular team." Oishi scratched the back of his head.

'_Shy guy yet kind…Amane probably likes him'_ the girls thought as they stared at Amane. Amane blushed and looked at her suddenly interesting shoes.

"Fuji Shusuke, a third year and a regular." Fuji smiled at Emi.

'_His smiles are kind of creepy…Is he flirting with Emi…?'_ the girls stared at the blushing Emi. Usio gave Emi a small sketch of Emi and Fuji kissing. Emi's blush grew more intense. She tried to punch Usio.

"Inui Sadaharu, a third year and a regular." He slightly bowed. The girls stared at Sakamoto.

'_Wonder if they will get along…'_ the girls thought.

"Nyaa, Kikumaru Eiji! A third year regular, hoi hoi!" Eiji smiled as he jumped up to his flashy introduction.

'_Pretty cute…hmm, wonder if Yumi can be great friends with him…'_ the girls stared at Yumi. Yumi still kept her child-like happy smile on.

"Momoshiro Takashi, a second year and a regular. Oh and that's viper." Momo grinned as he pointed to Kaido.

"Fshuu, idiot." Kaido hissed.

"You want to start something viper!?" Momo grabbed his collar.

"Stop it or 50 laps around the court!" Tezuka and Katou said in unison. The team stared at the two opposites who were synchronized for a moment.

They team spoke with each other through hushed whispers. Tezuka and Katou decided to stop it before it gets any worse.

"Guys, we came here to play a match." Katou scolded.

"Be on your best behavior and don't let your guard down, first ones will be Oishi and Eiji." Tezuka said.

"You guys are up, Amane and Yumi!" Katou smiled at the two.

"Okay, captain." Amane shyly said.

"YAY!! Let's play!!" Yumi sang as she entered the courts along with Amane, Oishi, and Eiji.

As soon as they reached the courts, Oishi decided that they should let the girls go first. Eiji complained but the girls got the first serve anyway.

"Bleh, you should be cuter." Yumi stuck her tongue out to Eiji. Eiji pouted.

"Y-Yumi-chan…We have to serve remember?" Amane tried to make peace like always.

"Okay Amane-chan! Just make sure you don't stare at Oishi-pion all day!" Yumi grinned. Amane blushed along with Oishi.

'_Oishi-pion…?'_ Oishi thought about his knew nickname.

Yumi started her serve with the two team mates off guard. The scored one point easily.

"That's cheating, nyaa." Eiji complained and pouted again.

"Keep your guard up." Yumi grinned.

Amane then served again and this time it broke into a rally. Yumi noticed that their guards were actually up. She decided that she should play a small little trick on the golden pair again.

"Hey Amane-chan." Yumi smiled. Amane knew that smile very well.

"Yeah?" Amane said as she returned the ball.

"I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but eventually it came back to me…the hard way." Yumi smiled. Eiji couldn't help but slip and laugh about the joke. The golden pair missed another point.

"Nyaa, that's not fair. Play a real match against us." Eiji said as he got up from the ground.

"It's not my fault that you laugh at my awesome puns." Yumi laughed.

"Guys! This is a match, not a pun show, Yumi!" Katou scolded Yumi directly.

"Yeah, yeah, okay captain." Yumi went back to her position in the court.

Amane did a fast serve but luckily Oishi returned the ball. It broke into a rally and Yumi was aiming more towards Oishi's legs, hoping that he wouldn't return it effectively but Eiji and Oishi were a smart synchronized pair so when they noticed that Yumi kept aiming it near Oishi's legs, they aimed it near Amane, thinking that she wouldn't return it. Bu they were wrong to hit it near Amane.

It was obvious that they would think that Amane was weak especially since it seemed like Yumi was taking all of the shots instead of herself. But there was a reason why Amane didn't attack.

As the ball rushed towards Amane's side, hitting the softened concrete, and bouncing up, Amane watched the ball. Time then slowed down for her. She could hear the slow beats of her heart. One…two…three and she hits it back.

Eiji, who was at the net, went to the ball and was the first to try and return the ball. Just as Eiji's racket was about to hit the tennis ball, the ball slowed down and landed very close to the net on Eiji and Oishi's side.

There was no way that could have been a zero-shiki shot because the ball slowed down and it still bounced.

"How…" Momo trailed off.

"Saa, interesting shot." Fuji opened his eyes.

"Timed drop shot…" Sakamoto muttered from the sidelines.

"What do you mean Timed Drop shot?" Inui asked.

"Amane's special move is adding less backspin to the ball so when it reaches the opponent's side of the court, the ball begins to lose its speed and falls close to the net. But this shot requires precision. You need to get the timing right or else it might fall on your court instead of your opponent's." Sakamoto explained.

The match was getting heated; it was already 4 games to 5 with Yumi/Amane pair in the lead.

"Hey Amane, I saw a beaver movie last night, it was the best dam movie I've ever seen." Yumi joked. Eiji fell from that joke and they won the last point.

"Game and match, Amane/Yumi pair wins 6 games to 4!" Katou smiled.

"Nyaa, using a pun to cheat." Eiji pouted.

"A win is still a win hehe." Yumi smiled.

"Great match by the way." Amane smiled as she shook Oishi's hand.

"Ooh, love birds!" Yumi and Eiji teased. Oishi and Amane blushed.

"Guys, come one!" Katou scolded. Everyone laughed before getting ready for the next match.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Next match shall be Sakamoto vs. Inui okay? Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	3. A Regular Match part 2

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Sakamoto took a quick look at her notes when she was on court. She skimmed all her pages that were about tennis, but since she hasn't gathered that much data off Inui, she could only guesstimate a couple of things.

After a series of Inui and Sakamoto's silent mutterings, they finally put their notebooks down and began the match.

"Good evening, Inui. Let's have a good match." Sakamoto flashed her famous business smile.

"I agree, Miharu-san." Inui smiled and they shook hands.

"Would you like to go first, Inui?" Sakamoto asked. Inui shook his head, "You can go first."

"Digging your own grave I see." Sakamoto lightly laughed. Inui smiled.

"Do they know each other or something?" Momo asked from the sidelines.

"Actually, Inui and Sakamoto are childhood friends, right Ems?" Katou asked. Emi nodded.

The team stared at Katou and Emi. They then stared at Sakamoto and Inui. _'No wonder they're alike in so many ways…'_ they thought to themselves.

Sakamoto ignored the chatter from the sidelines and began her serve. She did a regular serve, nothing fancy. She needed to collect her data just like Inui does all the time with his opponents.

Inui returned the serve, no shocker. Sakamoto expected as much so she hit it near various spots, collecting a wide range of data. Sakamoto made a few quick calculations off the top of her head and made her analysis.

'_He's obviously trying to adjust to my style and he's observing me just like I am doing to him. Hmm…hitting it near the net is a good place but if I hit a lob, it needs to be fairly high since his height is about…6 feet. Why does he have to be so tall? He needs to lay off the milk'_ Sakamoto thought enviously as she hit the ball near the net.

Inui missed it. Inui adjusted his glasses and mumbled something under his breath, most likely an estimation or new data.

"She got a point against Inui." Momo stared in awe.

"Well, she'd probably talented." Fuji lightly smiled.

"No that's just Sakamoto." Emi said, staring at her best friend.

Sakamoto ignored the chattering again and started the game. She wanted to end it as quickly as possible. After the serve, the two players broke into a rally. At this point, Sakamoto had to make another set of estimations.

'_That Inui, he's following my movements and predicting where I'll hit it. Alright data man, let's see how you feel when I copy your movements'_ Sakamoto smiled mischievously.

Sakamoto then began to copy Inui's movements, right down to the footwork. She made sure that no ball would go past her. Inui was in his own little world. He thought that Sakamoto was very unpredictable. One moment she would be doing something and the next she would be doing something else. It was hard for the data man to pinpoint a pattern.

"Game and match, Sakamoto wins 6 games to 4." Katou announced.

The two players were sweating but that did not stop them from smiling and shaking hands. "Thank you for the data, Inui." Sakamoto smiled. She wrote something in her notebook.

"Likewise." Inui mumbled as he wrote in his own notebook. The team sweat dropped.

"Are you guys in a business trip or a tennis match?" Katou asked wearily.

"Tennis match." They replied in unison.

"Anyway…Airi and Usio, it's your turn. Do your best." Katou smiled at her two players. Tezuka looked at Kaido and Momo.

"It's your turn." He said. The two were about to argue and fight but Tezuka gave them I-will-assign-you-laps glare. The two silently went on the courts.

"Are you Viper-chan and Peach-chan?" Usio crooked her head to the side. The guys got angry.

"Who's a peach!?" Momo glared at her.

"Fshuu, do not add -chan when you're referring to me!" Kaido hissed.

"U-Usio-chan, don't try to provoke the other opponents okay?" Airi tried to reason with Usio.

"But it's fun to mess with them, I can sketch a good picture, see?" Usio handed Airi her sketchbook. Airi almost laughed at the sketches. One was showing Momo as a mythical beast like the one from 'The Beauty and the Beast'. The other looked like Kaido only it was a snake with Kaido's facial features.

"U-Usio-chan…don't show…them." Airi suppressed her laughter. Usio's sketches make it funnier to look at the two.

Kaido and Momo were unaware of why Airi was laughing. They had puzzled looks on their faces. Emi found those faces very amusing so she got her video camera out.

"Ems…why are you taping this?" Katou asked.

"It will be good…persuasion material hehe…" Emi smiled.

"I see (-_-|||)…" Katou stayed silent.

The match started with Momo/Kaido pair to serve. Momo started with his serve and hit Kaido in the back of his head.

"K-Kaido-san, are you alright?" Airi looked over the net.

Kaido got up and glared at Momo. "What was that for you stupid peach!" Kaido grabbed his collar. "It was on accident," Momo grabbed his shirt.

Usio sighed and Airi tried to calm the two down. "Come on guys, a match is going on. You don't want to **lose** do you?" Airi asked.

The two straightened up. Even though they were eternal rivals, they definitely have one thing in common, they absolutely hate to lose. Momo served and this time, it actually went past the net instead of hitting Kaido's head.

Airi, who was at net, returned it quickly. Kaido returned it and tried to hit it near Usio but Airi got it once again. It turned into a rally soon after. Momo began to notice that Airi wouldn't let the ball go past her. Momo grinned and hit a lob this time.

He thought that Airi was defending Usio because she might be really weak. Poor Momo didn't know that he was dead wrong. It was actually a trap. Usio smirked as the ball was flying down toward the right corner. Usio ran towards the corner and a fast pace and hit the ball right back to Momo.

Momo hit it at a fairly normal pressure since he didn't think it would be so heavy. The racket fell from his hands.

"3 games to 2." Katou announced.

"It seems as though Kaido and Momo were fooled." Fuji smiled.

"You're right. Kumiko-san is much stronger than she looks. She probably added 40% more pressure on the ball than Momoshiro did to his lob." Inui said as he wrote in his trusty notebook.

"Kunimiko uses her whole arm for her power shots though she does have a different reason why she stays back. Her strategy is to force the players to hit a lob so she can add roughly 35% power to her shots than normal." Sakamoto explained.

Airi was searching for something. They were determined not to lose so their synchronization levels were good enough to survive the match for a long time. But Airi did not want to drag the match out because she knew that she and Usio did not have the stamina for that.

'_Where can I hit it…the center!'_ Airi thought.

Airi then paid close attention to the ball that was headed her way. She took a deep breath and hit it towards the center. Momo and Kaido were rushing to get the ball. As they reached the center, the two collided and fell flat on their behinds.

"Game and match, Airi and Usio pair wins 6 games to 3." Katou announced.

"Good going Viper, we could have won if you lat me get that!" Momo complained.

"Shut up, I could have gotten that if you didn't get in my way!" Kaido argued back.

Usio was getting a migraine. She went to their side of the court and punched them right in the face. Airi was shocked just like everyone else.

"U-Usio! Don't do that!" Katou scolded. Airi went to go help the two by giving them a cold pack. Kaido blushed when Airi pressed his cold pack on his cheek for him.

"What a happy couple." Usio showed the two a sketch of Kaido and Airi hugging. Momo grinned.

"So the Viper is an operator now." Momo grinned some more. Airi and Kaido stiffened and blushed.

"Enough run 30 laps around the court for you misbehavior!" Tezuka and Katou commanded in unison.

The other regulars snickered at Kaido, Momo, Airi, and Usio running around the courts for their punishments. They could see the light blushes on each of them as they passed by.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Next one will be Yamada Natsume vs. Kawamura Takashi and Fujimoto Emi vs. Fuji Shusuke. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	4. A Regular Match part 3

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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The next match was Yamada Natsume vs. Kawamura Takashi. They didn't know much about Natsume but they felt very sorry for her since she would be facing the strongest player on the team. The boys silently prayed for Natsume's safety.

Natsume knew that everyone would underestimate her since she wasn't all that strong-looking but she did look a little dangerous. Natsume sighed as she picked up her racket and went to the courts.

"Um…let's have a good match." Kawamura nervously smiled while rubbing the back of his head. He then extended his arm out for a handshake. Natsume was having her doubts.

'_Is he okay? He doesn't look like he can hurt a fly on purpose. In fact, it doesn't look like he can hurt a fly on accident'_ Natsume thought as she went to the baseline.

"Taka-san, you forgot this." Fuji threw his racket to Kawamura.

"Haha, sorry." He said, showing a shy smile. Kawamura caught his racket and went to his side of the court.

'_This only proves my case…'_ Natsume thought at first.

Then it seemed as though the background was heating up. Natsume looked at Kawamura again and was shocked. "BURNING! I'm going to take you down!!" he yelled. Natsume twitched. This was defiantly not what she expected. I mean anyone would be freaked out if they saw a player change their personality dramatically.

'_Weirdo definitely a weirdo…'_ Natsume sweat dropped.

"Great-O!" Kawamura did his burning serve. As Natsume went to hit it, the ball just hit her racket right out of her hands.

'_This guy…is strong…'_ Natsume thought. Natsume watched him serve again. This time she gripped her racket harder and returned the ball this time.

"She actually returned it, nyaa!" Eiji jaw dropped.

"Natsume-chan, used to be a Yankee and she would go on countless fights. So she really is the power player in our team." Amane explained shyly.

"It's true, she used to work at a dojo before and earned free lessons which helped increase her power by 36.9% than last time." Sakamoto said, writing in her notebook.

Natsume ignored the chattering from the sidelines. She was at a match and she hates to lose. Natsume will not lose to anyone who thinks they are stronger than her. At least that's what she thought. Her arm was aching from Kawamura's constant power shots.

'_Think of something Natsume…if you're going to go down at least go down with a fight.'_ Natsume thought then she got an idea. "If I can't win then I'll just have to make it a tie…" Natsume whispered.

Natsume changed her stance. It looked oddly familiar. Kawamura noticed what Natsume was doing. She was using Hadoukyuu.

"Stop, Kawamura!" Oishi warned but it was too late. Kawamura already returned the ball.

Natsume was waiting for it to come closer. As the ball came closer, her stance seemed to a look more and more different than from the original Hadoukyuu. Amane knew that stance. It was more like a safer version of the Hadoukyuu, one that a powerful girl like Natsume could pull off.

Natsume hit the ball in her version of Hadoukuu. That ball went back towards Kawamura's court at an accelerating speed. Kawamura ran to the ball and hit it but the racket flew out of his hands. Now that was a shocker.

"Is she stronger than Taka-san?" Oishi asked worriedly.

"No, she's weaker than Kawamura but that shot is a powerful one." Amane said staring at her friend.

'_I just hope she doesn't use it too many times…' _Amane thought worriedly.

Natsume started her serve, she was determined to win the match or at least get a tie. Once she served, Natsume went up to the net. The regulars from the sidelines thought that she was crazy. Kawamura dropped his racket.

"I forfeit…" He said letting the ball pass him. Natsume, as well as the others, were shocked to see that Kawamura would throw a match away.

"What are you doing? This is a match, why are you forfeiting when it's not even close to the end?" Natsume was mad. She wanted to win but not this way. She would have rather made it a tie.

"It can't be helped Natsume. If he doesn't want to play then he doesn't have to. Ems, you're up next." Katou said sternly although it looked like a child trying to be the parent. Natsume sighed and went out. Emi went to the courts in her place.

"Um, you can go first Fuji-san." Emi said, trying to be polite.

"Hmm, ladies first." He smiled and handed Emi the ball. Emi slightly blushed. Katou's eyes widened.

"Ems! I didn't know you like Fu-…!!" Katou shouted but was stopped by the ball coming towards her way.

"Neko-chan, I'm in a match so you have to stay silent." Emi felt like beating Katou up for almost blurting out something she shouldn't have.

'_I wonder if the team is out to get me or something…'_ Emi eyed her teammates who were grinning at her for some reason.

'_I do not want to know what they are thinking'_ Emi twitched.

Emi ignored her teammates and began her serve though Fuji returned it easily. Emi knew that Fuji was a genius and did not want to take any chances but that didn't mean she would show all of her moves. Emi also had a feeling as though Fuji was waiting for something to happen.

'_What are you waiting for?'_ she thought as she returned the ball. They were already rallying and it didn't seem like it was going to go anywhere.

Fuji returned the ball. Emi didn't seem very pleased; she watched his face and noticed that he kept the same smile with his eyes closed. She wondered how he did it. No one could smile that long and keep their eyes closed. She wondered if he could even see clearly.

Fuji then ended the rally by scoring a point to the right corner. Emi looked at the genius again. He was smiling like usual. It made her mad. She wanted to see his eyes, mainly because she never got a chance to see them.

Emi served again, having a new motive. She didn't want to win. Now, she wanted Fuji to open his eyes even if it was just once. _'One move, just one…'_ Emi thought.

Fuji returned the ball, hitting towards the service box. Emi watched the ball. In her eyes, it began to slow down. She rushed up towards the net and waited for the perfect timing. The boys were shocked at how fast Emi could go to the net. The girls, however, predicted that she was fast.

'_Now!'_ Emi hit the ball and landed on the center of the court. The ball spun around in a circle one time then it started to go all over the court like it was on fire. Fuji opened his eyes and tried to follow a pattern the ball might have but it got out.

Emi smiled, she managed to make the genius open his eyes, and she liked the wonderful color of his eyes. _'They're blue…'_ she slightly blushed. She knew she was being sucked in by his natural charm. Emi shook her head.

"I forfeit." Emi said. She smiled at Fuji who seemed a bit taken aback but then returned to his light smile and closed eyes. Fuji went out of the courts first and listened to Katou and Emi's conversation.

"What!? Ems, did you lose your motivation or something?" Katou said.

"Hmm…maybe." Emi smiled. She then left the court to go near her team's side.

"Ah I know! You just wanted to stare at Fu-…" Katou was cut off.

"Silence is golden, duck tape is silver." Emi recited as she duck taped Katou's mouth.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Next one will be Katou vs. Tezuka and *drum roll* Ryoma vs. Sakuno! Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	5. A Regular Match part 4

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Katou had to take a few moments to take the duck tape off of her mouth before continuing on with the match. After it was off, the whole team could see Katou's happiness. They wondered why she was so happy to be playing a match with Tezuka.

'_She probably has a huge crush on Tezuka…'_ the guys thought. They weren't wrong yet they weren't exactly right either.

"Let's have a great match Kunimitsu." Katou smiled happily. Tezuka nodded.

"Do they know each other?" Inui asked, getting read to write in his notebook.

"Yeah, she even calls Tezuka b his first name without a suffix." Oishi said.

"Tezuka-san and Katou are childhood friends yet she was too busy last year to come to his practices. But they hung out at parks to play tennis and talk…" Sakamoto seemed to be happy not giving Inui enough information so she can see him squirm. She knew he wanted more but her lips were sealed.

"Anyway, it looks like the match is starting." Emi tried to change topics.

Tezuka let Katou serve. Katou, suddenly getting a confident look on her face, served. It was a normal serve though it was packed with a bit of power.

Tezuka seemed to return it okay. He didn't even seem like he was trying despite his serious looking face. The whole team wondered why the match seemed like a kid battling an adult.

"40 love." Sakamoto said, writing in her purple notebook.

Katou was still smiling despite losing 3 points. Katou began her serve again, making sure that she could follow a pattern. Tezuka was unpredictable for her.

Katou watched the ball as they rallied, noticing that the ball always centered on Tezuka even without him moving a single inch. That's when Katou realized that he was using his Tezuka zone. Katou felt determined to break this move. She tried hitting it in various places yet they would always be returned.

'_Where can I hit it…?'_ Katou quickly looked at every possible suggestion. Then she thought that hitting it near the net by doing a drop shot would force Tezuka to run up to net. She smiled.

Tezuka returned the ball and by then, Katou was already at net. She did a short drop shot. Tezuka had to leave his perfect circle that he made to return the shot. Luckily he returned it by hitting the ball towards the baseline. But it was too late.

Katou hade returned the ball and scored a point. "This match isn't over Kunimitsu." Katou grinned. Tezuka nodded, showing a bit of happiness in his eyes.

Katou then gained 3 more games after that. She was pleased to be playing with Tezuka. As Tezuka was serving, Katou seemed to be in a daze. _'Kunimitsu…I wish…'_ Katou silently thought of something. The ball went right past her and she didn't even notice.

"Game and match, Tezuka wins 6 games to 3." Sakamoto announced.

"Wow, I thought she'd be getting another 2 games or something." Momo said in awe.

Katou still seemed like she was in a daze when she went back to her team. Emi noticed that something didn't seem right.

"Katou…you were the one who requested a match, why are you in a daze all of a sudden?" Emi asked, concern showed in her voice.

"I was just thinking about something." Katou whispered. Not sure of how to tell her best friend.

"What's that?" Emi asked.

"I'll tell you later…Alright, Sakuno-chan it's your turn!" Katou smiled at Sakuno.

"Okay, sempai." Sakuno smiled. Ryoma acted indifferent as he drank his grape flavored ponta.

The two then walked into the courts and faced each other. "Which?" Ryoma asked, holding his racket out so he could pin it around. "Uh…smooth." Sakuno said. Ryoma then spun the racket and when it fell, it revealed 'rough'.

"I serve," Ryoma said, picking up his racket, and going back to his side of the court to serve.

Ryoma was feeling a bit bored and then he wondered about Sakuno's progress. He hadn't been monitoring her since middle school. Now they were in high school, playing against each other out of some strange chance of their captains being child hood friends who wanted to play a match with their whole team.

Ryoma did a normal serve, nothing special. Sakuno returned it, her form seemingly improved from Ryoma point of view. Sakuno hit it near the corners. Ryoma was surprised at her accuracy. He didn't know that she would improve this much.

He remembered all the times he would say that she had wobbly hips, hair too long, knee needed to be more bent, shoulder's more relaxed, and such. Now, her wobbly hips were on vacation, knees were less bent, shoulders were more relaxed, and her hair was in a pony tail. But that wasn't much of a shocker in her change of twin braids to high pony tail, no, her hair was shorter. Her hair was now past her shoulders.

As the match progressed, Roma wondered how this shy girl gradually changed. He remembered that she used to blush ad stutter whenever she got nervous or embarrassed especially when Momo and Eiji were teasing her about Ryoma and Sakuno secretly dating. Ryoma dismissed all of that. HE wondered about her again.

It was obvious that Ryoma was still winning. It was already 3 games to 1 but Roma didn't even expect her to get one game. Then, worst case scenario, it began to rain, water droplets falling on all the regulars' heads. Soon, their clothing would become a bit soggy.

"Sorry Sakuno-chan, Echizen, we have to go before the rain gets heavier!" Katou said

The two freshmen nodded. The put their rackets away and called it a day. Sakuno wasn't satisfied but then again the other girls didn't feel satisfied either. Somehow they felt that the regulars might have gone easy on them.

The each went their separate ways, saying their good byes though it wouldn't be the last time they would meet since they all went to the same school. Sakuno was disappointed.

'_Get stronger…I have to get stronger so I can battle Ryoma-kun.'_ Sakuno thought in her mind.

Rain began to fall down harder and Sakuno didn't have anything to cover herself with. Sakuno was running to her house but then when she got to the fork of the road, she stopped.

'_Which way do I go?'_ Sakuno worried. She would think about many what ifs like what if she picked the wrong road and suddenly strayed far away from home, only to be found by an overly kind stranger. Then she would be raped, killed, and left with her corpsely remains in a sewer. Then her grandmother would go on a rampage once she found out and become a murderer…

"Still bad in directions, Ryuzaki?" a voice stated, breaking Sakuno from her vain thinking. She turned around to see her long time crush, Echizen Ryoma.

"Ryoma-kun…" the name escaped her lips.

"I guess I have to take you home then." He said nonchalantly. He walked right next to her, and silently urged her to follow.

"Come on, Ryuzaki. You don't want to stay here forever." Ryoma briefly said, walking in front of her. He had an umbrella and since there was only one, they could walk home under the same umbrella.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	6. Just Another Practice Day

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Note: Metros is a tournament that happens between schools locally. You know like Nationals are the whole world, Kanto is the whole Kanto region, etc.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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"Everyone line up!" Katou said in her captain voice.

"What is it Katou-buchou~?" Yumi cart wheeled towards Katou.

"As you know, the metros will be starting soon so Sakamoto will give you all menus to follow so we can all improve our game." Katou gestured for Sakamoto to speak.

"First we need to identify what are your weaknesses and strengths then we got to train you until you drop dead." Sakamoto did her famous business smile. The girls couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

"First I want everyone to do 10 laps around the court. When you finish your laps, go to court A." Sakamoto explained.

"Start now." Katou commanded. The girls nodded and then ran their laps, leaving Sakamoto and Katou to talk about their training menus.

After the girls ran their ten laps, they were greeted by Sakamoto and Katou.

"Alright first we are going to work on your hand and eye coordination. Everyone line up in a straight line. The first player starts with a couple of balls. The line begins jogging around the court and the first player tosses one ball up in the air. The player behind her catches it and tosses it up for the next player. When the player at the end of the line has the ball, the next player sprints to the front and starts the toss all over again. The first player would continue to toss the balls she has one at a time at intervals. The drill will be over when you have done this 50 times." Sakamoto explained.

Everyone got lined up in a straight line. Katou was the first so she already had 3 tennis balls ready to hit up.

"Oh and anyone who messes up the momentum gets to try my supplementary juice." Sakamoto showed her business smile as she held up a pitcher of a seemingly harmless glass of orange juice. The girls shrugged it off, not knowing the dangers of the drink.

Katou started, se bumped up one of the tennis balls and started to jog. The other girls followed, trying their best to not make any mistakes. After a while, some began to lose their stamina.

"Come on, this is only the 36 round. Keep going." Sakamoto ordered as she wrote in her notebook. The girls kept on going. Yumi stopped.

"Wah, I don't want to anymore." Yumi complained.

"Alright then, here." Sakamoto gave her a cup of the juice she showed them earlier. Yumi looked at the cup before she drank it.

Yumi could taste the citrus fruits but the juice tasted more vile and degusting. She could feel the juice burn her throat and when it reached her stomach, she could have sworn new acids forming and her food felt like coming back up.

"OH MY GOD!! WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THERE!!? IT'S SOO HORRIBLE!!" Yumi ran towards the bathroom. Everyone could hear Yumi's groans echoing from the bathroom. The girls suddenly became very scared of that drink.

"Haha, w-what did you put in the drink S-Sakamoto?" Katou asked wearily.

"Oh, I can assure you that it's all edible and it's good for you." Sakamoto showed her business smile.

'_I can't tell if she's lying or not…'_ the girls thought to themselves. The made sure that they would hit the ball and they would keep going even if their legs were tired or numb.

The next one to go down was Airi. Her legs just dropped. Sakamoto helped her up and offered her some refreshments. Airi's legs came back and were used to run to the bathroom. Everyone heard another groan but this time it was from Airi.

"I'm so not going to drink that!" Katou said, increasing her pace.

"Don't worry, you have 4 more rounds." Sakamoto business smiled.

The rest of the girls increased their pace. They wanted to get it done and over with. Usio was the next to come down and Sakamoto was waiting right next to her with "refreshments". Usio ran all the way to the bathroom. The girls were determined to survive.

"Last round." Sakamoto smiled, she enjoyed the torture…I mean enthusiasm of practice from her peers… (Not really).

Amane stopped and dropped before she could go on. Sakamoto handed her refreshments. _'Devil! How can she do that to her own cousin?'_ the remaining girls thought.

"Eh, the drink tastes just like orange juice." Amane said, drinking more of it.

"What!? Then I quit!" Natsume stopped. The other girls stopped as well.

"Hmm, more of you get to try the drink then." Sakamoto handed each of them her home made juice.

"I bet they just tried to scare us." Natsume said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah I guess." Katou agreed. The rest of the girls drank the juice. They could feel the burning sensation of their throats, the changing acids of their stomachs, and the food that was coming back up.

"Liar!" The girls shouted to Sakamoto as they all rushed to the bathroom. A huge groan could be heard from the girls' restroom.

**~After a series of continuous groaning~**

"G-Guys, are you alright?" Amane asked, concerned about her groaning friends.

"Sakamoto, you went easy on your cousin. Darn you!" Katou tried to throw a punch but missed and fell on the ground.

"K-Katou-san!" Amane went to see if Katou was alright.

"Che, I guess I made the mixture a bit too strong for the others though Katou is in a better condition so I should lower the solution by roughly 35%..." Sakamoto muttered some quick calculations.

Katou stood back up on her two feet. "Sakamoto, once I get better, you are going down." Katou threatened though because she looked like she was about to faint, it wasn't much of a threat.

"Ugh, your drinks are horrible. I think you killed Sakuno-chan and Airi-chan." Emi said as she limped her way towards Sakamoto, Katou, and Amane.

"I can't kill them off. How else am I supposed win the matches, by myself?" Sakamoto asked with her business smile on.

"Oh well look at the time, I got to go and practice is over, ja." Sakamoto waved and walked away with her new high tech skateboard that she designed and created herself. (Warning: if you go in turbo speed, you might actually break the fabric of time and end up years into the future or past.)

"What!? Sakamoto, get back here! I'm going to kick your little buns!" Katou threatened, staggering.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	7. Extra: The Rule Book

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

While Sakuno was changing, she saw an abandoned notebook just laying there. _'Is this Sakamoto-sempai's?'_ Sakuno thought though it couldn't be since it had a leather cover instead of a purple colored cover.

"Heh, you found the rule book." Natsume said, noticing Sakuno slightly panicking.

"Eh, rule book?" Sakuno asked.

"Yeah, the set of rules every girl regular has to follow. If not then you have to taste Miharu's…refreshments…" Sakuno and Natsume looked like they were about to throw up just thinking about it.

"But…why do we need a rule book?" Sakuno asked.

"Read it and you'll find out." Natsume said, walking away.

"Read it?" Sakuno opened the rule book and started her reading.

**~Lunch Time~**

"Sakuno-chan, come eat with us!" Yumi glomped Sakuno. (Sound familiar?).

Sakuno was too engrossed in the rule book that she didn't even notice that Yumi glomped on her until she fell on the ground.

"OOH! You found the rule book!" Yumi exclaimed happily.

"Y-Yumi-senpai…why were these rules made?" Sakuno asked.

"Well, I guess the rest of the team could tell you about them." Yumi dragged Sakuno to the big table where all the girl regulars are.

"Hey, Sakuno-chan, you found the old rule book." Katou smiled.

"Oh yeah, the rule book that limits my torture-…I mean potential." Sakamoto slightly coughed.

"Sempais, can you tell me about some of these rules?" Sakuno asked.

"Sure." The girls answered.

"U-Um…can you tell me about some of these rules?" Sakuno asked.

"Haha, sure, I'll do number 8." Yumi smiled nervously as she told the story.

* * *

**Rule #8: Yumi is not allowed in the science labs alone.**

Yumi was merrily walking down the halls. She was only a naïve freshman at the time and a very curious person.

As Yumi strolled down the hallways, a boy came and rushed past her. He bumped Yumi so hard that she actually fell into a room, the science lab. Yumi got up and tried to open the door.

But the door was locked shut. Yumi was having second thought. "Don't worry, someone will find me…" Yumi told herself.

After 30 seconds, she broke. "Oh my god!! What if no one finds me!?? I have to get out of here!" Yumi looked around for anything she could use to break down the door. Yumi then spotted a cabinet filled with labeled liquids.

"Ooh, water!" Yumi smiled and opened the cabinet. She took out a number of differently labeled liquids and placed them on the table near the window.

"Hmm, this one says sulfur, chlorine, sodium…man what weirdly labeled drinks they have in this room. Oh well, I'm going to mix them all together with this straw that says um…magnesium." Yumi smiled.

Yumi then mixed the liquids together and but the magnesium inside. The drink started to bubble and make crackling sounds.

"Uh…I think those were chemicals…" Yumi heard another big crack.

"Oh my god! It's gonna blow!" Yumi jumped out of the window and landed on a tree. Yumi then went down from the tree and started to run as fast as she could, away from the science lab.

*BOOM*

Half of the school's science labs were…gone…

**Rule #13: Sakamoto is not allowed to make teachers cry and/or make them quit just for revenge.**

Sakamoto was only a freshman girl at the time and she didn't like teachers that much since she thought that they were all boring. She especially hated tough acting teachers who were mean.

"Miharu! Look at this disgusting mark. All the answers are wrong!" Sakamoto's least favorite teacher was scolding her.

"These are all right. The first president of the United States was not George Clooney. It was George Washington." Sakamoto corrected her teacher.

"This is my room, my rules. If I say it was George Clooney then it is George Clooney! You still have your F. now leave!" The teacher hissed at her.

"Hmm, next target." Sakamoto glared at her teacher.

"What's that glare for!? Get out!" The teacher pointed at the door. Sakamoto left.

--

"Stupid principal! Why can't you just let the students put away the equipment?" Sakamoto's teacher said angrily.

"Sensei, you shouldn't be saying that." The teacher jumped from the sound of Sakamoto's voice. Sakamoto was showing her same business smile as always.

"Hmm, you seem to be carrying a lot. Should I help you?" Sakamoto asked.

'_Good, I can make use of her…'_ the teacher thought evilly.

"Sure you can. Just hold half of this and we can get going." The teacher smiled.

"Half? This is about 75% of what you are holding. Besides aren't you the stronger one, Ms. Teacher?" Sakamoto smiled. The teacher cursed under her breath. The two kept on walking towards the equipment shack.

Once they reached the shake, Sakamoto opened the door for her. The teacher went inside first and Sakamoto silently followed, locking the door behind her.

"Oops, it seems as though the door is locked. Guess we'll be in here for a while." Sakamoto said.

"Great, now I have to spend time with my students when it's not in school hours." The teacher grumbled.

"Teacher, I didn't know you liked to wear spider hats." Sakamoto said, pointing to the top of her head.

"What are you talking about? I hate spiders." The teacher then checked her head. She felt something bite her hand. She then got scared then threw the thing away from her. The teacher then ran behind Sakamoto, trying to use Sakamoto as some sort of human shield.

"That's not nice sensei. You shouldn't use me to protect yourself," Sakamoto chuckled and went closer to the spider. "After all, it only eats dead things." Sakamoto picked up the spider. The spider was orange colored and was the size of a small house cat.

"See?" Sakamoto business smiled as she threw the spider to the teacher's face.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!" The teacher threw the spider to the wall and banged the door right open.

She then ran as far as she could and finally stopped when she reached the entrance of the school. She had a small sigh of relief. Then she could feel something on her head. She instinctively pulled her hand up to touch it. It felt sticky.

The thing went down and covered the teacher's face. "GET IT OFF ME!!" she cried out.

"Sensei, you do realize bugs that are brightly colored are poisonous and that spider is frightened." Sakamoto's voice came right back to haunt the teacher.

"I QUIT!!" The teacher began to cry and run away.

"Doesn't she know that these types of spiders are harmless?" Sakamoto smiled

**Rule # 15: Emi is not allowed to scare off other students for revenge.**

"Ugh, there are 3 new freshmen who are called the freaks because they continuously cause trouble. One gets into fights, one bribes people, and the last one scares people." Gossiper 1 said to gossiper 2.

"That's horrible. I don't like the one with short yellow hair. She really pisses me off so I glued all of her pencils together." Gossiper 2 said.

"Nice!" Gossiper 1 high fived gossiper 2.

"Really? There's a girl you're scared about?" A small little girl walked towards gossipers 1 and 2.

"Yeah, total freak. You shouldn't hang with her or else you might turn into one too."

"I just met her. She told me that she wanted revenge and that she was going to get you." The little girl tilted her head to the side like she was trying to hear someone who was whispering to her.

"As if, she wouldn't know it was me." Gossiper 2 said snobbishly.

"You should apologize. It would be smart." The little girl suggested.

"Okay, whatever." The girls shrugged it off.

"Then I guess I'll juts have to seek her revenge for her." The little girl then opened her mouth wide, so wide that it looked like you could fit a bowling ball in there, and she put her hand inside. The girl then took out her heart and began to squeeze it.

"Once you are affected by my heart's blood, you'll die in 6 days." The girl smiled in a very creepy way.

The girls backed up. "What the F*** are you!?" The girls began to run away.

"It's amazing what you can do with Hollywood make-up, Sakamoto's discarded robots that are controllable, and a papier-mâché heart with ketchup for blood." Emi smiled and patted the robot girl's head.

**Rule #20: Emi and Sakamoto are not allowed to make Katou look like a total boy.**

**Rule #21: Emi is also not allowed to say certain disturbing things when Katou is dressed as a guy.**

As Katou was changing, she noticed that her clothes were gone. "What the?" Katou then looked at the new pair of clothes. Katou shrugged it off and wore the clothes anyway.

--

"Oh my gosh! That guy right there looks so hot!" The girls squealed.

"Shut up!" Katou growled. She was in a fowl mood. Girls have been squealing in her ear saying that she's cute, hot, sexy, or some other compliment that you only give to celebrities.

Katou looked like an actual guy. Her hair was hidden under a black cap; she wore baggy pants, white sneakers, big t-shirt with a big zip up jacket. She looked like a guy, gangster style.

"Young man, I cannot tolerate you attire. Please change now." One of the teachers who came by said.

"Teacher…I'm a girl." Katou said through clenched teeth.

"Oh…I-I'm sorry" She stuttered. Katou ignored her and went towards the tennis courts.

--

"Ems! I know you grabbed my clothes now give them back!" Katou yelled.

"Hmm, Emi seems to not be here at the moment." Sakamoto silently chuckled. Katou glared at her.

"I bet you know where she is, so tell me." Katou glared at her best friend.

"Oh look, she's right there and she brought friends." Sakamoto smiled as she pointed towards a different direction.

"KATOU IS A BOY AND HE'S A MONSTER IN BED!!" Emi shouted while limping towards the courts.

Katou felt sick. "I'm a girl! And what do you mean I'm a monster that lives under beds!?" Katou exclaimed.

"Oh, hello Katou-kun, you don't have to be shy." Emi giggled.

"You're creeping me out (-_-|||)." Katou said.

Suddenly, a horde of guys and girls were staring at Katou. Katou could see two dangerous atmospheres: the girls who were drooling in happiness and the guys who were glaring in anger.

"What the-…!?" Katou began to run because the guys and girls were chasing after her.

"What are you all doing!!?" Katou yelled as she ran away from the huge crowd that was following her.

**Rule #25: Usio is not allowed to creep anyone out by smiling all day.**

Usio was feeling very bored. She wanted some form of entertainment. Yumi obviously couldn't do anything because she would violate many of the rules if she did so Usio had to find a way to entertain herself.

Usio began walking towards the lunch court. "Geez Usio-chan, you should smile more. You look like a living statue." Yumi said, dragging Usio towards the table.

"I see…" Usio said emotionlessly. The girls shrugged it off since that's what she does all the time.

Then Usio looked up at the girls. She was….smiling!? The girls got creeped out. "Usio-chan…are you sick?" Katou asked.

"OMG, it's the end of the world! Duck for cover!" Yumi exclaimed, actually going under the table.

Everyone started to run and scream for their lives and it all started with Usio smiling…

**Rule #34: Amane is not allowed to get drunk period.**

"WOO HOO! Happy B-day, Sora-chan!" Yumi said happily to her younger sister.

"T-Thanks but what is the coach doing here?" Airi asked. All the girls turned their heads to Kumiko-sensei, Usio's father.

"Don't look at me. I was dragged here by my ugly daughter." He smiled.

"Yeah right, you followed me here so you can crash the party, idiot." Usio smacked Mr. Kumiko's head.

"Ow, what was that for?" He asked, a bit angry.

"Why don't you all just shut up?" Everyone turned their heads towards Amane.

"A-Amane-chan? Did you say that?" Yumi asked, unbelieving.

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" She said snobbishly.

"A-Amane-chan, w-what did you….is that a glass of alcohol?" Katou asked.

"Some idiot left it here so I drank it." Amane said, drinking more.

"It tastes good, unlike all that cr*p Sakamoto makes us drink." Everyone's mouth dropped. Did Amane just cuss?

"F*ck, I'm hungry. Go get me something to eat birthday girl." Amane growled.

"OMG, Amane has gone wild!" Yumi yelled.

"Someone call the police before it gets ugly!" Katou shouted, grabbing the nearest phone.

"Dad, where are you! I'm going to kick your butt when I get home!" Usio tried hunting for her father.

* * *

"Um, captain, I think we should stop telling Sakuno-chan about the stories behind the rules." Yumi suggested.

"Eh, why?" Katou asked.

"Because I think Sakuno-chan fainted out of shock." Yumi said, staring at Sakuno.

"What!? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Amane asked, worried.

"Because Sakuno-chan would get up at the beginning of each rule and faint every time it ended." Yumi explained.

"I think we have to add another rule." Emi said.

"Agreed." Sakamoto nodded, adding in another rule.

**Rule #75: No one is allowed to tell Sakuno about the stories behind the rules.**

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	8. The Exciting Metro Tournaments

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

All the regular girls were panting because of harsh training from 'Miharu Hell'. Each of them were given strict menus from Sakamoto and they were expected to follow them accordingly or else they will just have to taste her wonderful and (SEEMINGLY) harmless juice.

"Bah, this is horrible!" Yumi complained.

"Come on, Yumi-chan, you have 20 less laps than everyone else since your endurance is not good enough, we have to start slow." Sakamoto said.

"Demon!" Yumi complained again.

"Usio-san has to do 20 more swings, Natsume-kun has to do 30 crunches, Emi has to run around the whole court without stopping, Katou has to run around the court 10 times with weights, Amane-chan practices on her shots, and Sakuno-chan has to follow this new menu." Sakamoto handed Sakuno a sheet of paper.

"Again? Why do my menus keep changing?" Sakuno asked.

"You're a bit different Sakuno. You're like Katou, an all-rounder. So you have to have your menu changed frequently." Sakamoto said.

"But…this menu is harder than last time." Sakuno said.

"Just keep training. Don't you remember your goal?" Sakamoto asked.

"Yeah, it's to beat Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno said confidently.

"Great, now go ahead and start on your menu." Sakamoto business smiled.

"Yes, Sakamoto-sempai!" Sakuno then dashed off to start her menu.

"What the heck are you saying to her?" Katou asked as she walked up to Sakamoto.

"Oh, just telling her about her motivation." Sakamoto smiled.

"Yeah right. Anyway, did you change my menu again?" Katou asked.

"Yep." Sakamoto smiled as she handed Katou another piece of paper.

"Ugh, Miharu Hell…" Katou mumbled.

"Did you say something Katou?" Sakamoto held up her juice. Katou was scared all of a sudden.

"N-No, I'll go." Katou said. She just ate her lunch. She does not want to see it a second time.

Sakamoto spotted a girl near the courts. The girl was watching all of the regulars and began to write some notes. Sakamoto was very suspicious of this girl. Sakamoto walked up to her and smiled.

"Do you need anything miss?" Sakamoto asked politely with her business smile on.

"N-No thanks!" The girl scurried off.

Sakamoto looked where she ran off. Sakamoto wonder if she was gathering data on them but didn't pester it too much because it didn't seem likely that she would come back.

**~Metro Tournaments~**

The girls were lined up and ready to go to their tournaments. Everyone was signed in and ready to play their matches. Sakuno was especially excited since this was her first match with all of her upperclassmen by her side. _'I wonder how Ryoma-kun felt when he had his first match.' _Sakuno thought as she watched the first doubles match start between her upperclassmen and some unknown school.

"Sakuno-chan, you seem a bit dazed. Are you alright?" Katou asked.

"Ah, yes. I'm alright. It's just…" Sakuno's legs began to move and bounce. "It's just that I'm a bit excited." Sakuno smiled.

Katou nodded and began to watch the matches, though her mind seemed to be somewhere else. _'She's the same…'_ Katou thought. She remembered when Tezuka had told her that Ryoma's motivation was to beat someone when they were in middle school and school was just starting. Now, Sakuno has that same problem.

'_If you're out to beat Echizen then what will you do afterwards? Quit tennis?'_ Katou asked but she knew that Sakuno couldn't read minds so her question would be left unanswered.

"Game and match, Usio/Airi pair wins 6 games to love!" the ref announced.

"Go Sora-chan! Wahoo!" Yumi cheered.

"Oh my gosh, Sakuno-chan. This is so exciting though not as much as it would be if it were the boys' team where Ryoma-sama is!" Tomoka Squealed in Sakuno's ear.

"T-Tomo-chan, you're embarrassing me." Sakuno tried to calm her best friend down.

The day went on and there weren't many challenging matches except the last one…

--

"Alright, we're facing St. Amarate School. This one will be tougher than the rest so have fun and go wild." Katou smiled.

"Make sure you don't lose." Mr. Kumiko said. Usio went and smacked her father.

"Anyway, the line up will be: Usio/Airi pair for doubles 2, Yumi/Amane pair for doubles 1, Sakuno for singles 3, Natsume for singles 2, and Emi for singles 1. Got it?" Sakamoto explained.

"Eh, why isn't buchou playing?" Yumi asked.

"I want everyone to get a chance to play." Katou replied.

"Eh, that's not a good reason." Yumi said.

"You just don't want to play. Now, to motivate you guys, I will reward any losers to my special supplementary drink." Sakamoto held up the horrible pitcher. The girls felt sick just looking at it.

"Let's win!" Yumi said a little bit too enthusiastically.

Usio and Airi were the first ones up. They were doing really well at first then their opponents began to hit at their weak points. Usio and Airi began to lose some points. The team was starting to get suspicious.

"Sakamoto, you noticed it right?" Katou asked.

"Yeah, they're aiming for their weak points." Sakamoto replied.

"Do you know anything?" Katou asked.

"Did you remember that a girl came in a couple of days during our matches?" Sakamoto asked.

"Eh, you mean the one who scurried off into no where?" Katou asked.

"Yep, that one but we don't have to worry, look." Sakamoto pointed towards the match.

Usio scored two points. Airi and Usio didn't give up. They kept going, trying to wear down their opponents. After their opponents got tired, Usio and Airi would come in and score more points. After 5 minutes, the match was over with Usio and Airi winning.

"Wow, for a second there I thought you guys were actually going to lose." Yumi handed some water over to Airi.

"I'm not going to drink Sakamoto's juice (-_-|||)." Airi said.

"I won't either." Usio agreed.

Next match was Yumi and Amane. They were the ones who actually beat their opponents without a problem. They didn't even sweat much.

"Good thing I gave you more training." Sakamoto smiled.

"Bleh, the training was almost as horrible as your juice." Yumi grumbled.

"Did you say something?" Sakamoto smiled, holding up her supplementary juice.

"N-No…" Yumi said, backing up.

"Alright Sakuno-chan, you're up." Katou encouraged.

Sakuno nodded and went up to the court. It was decided that her opponent would be the first to serve. Sakuno waited as her opponent served. She was observing the ball, waiting to hit it near the corners.

Sakamoto really worked Sakuno hard, making her change her training frequently. Sakuno was able to become more flexible. She remembered that Sakamoto told her that all-rounder players must adjust to their opponents so they can remain unpredictable.

Sakuno was trying her hardest to be unpredictable. She had a goal and she wanted to obtain it. But she can't come close if she loses this match. That's why Sakuno trained a bit over than what the menu suggested.

Sakuno scored a point and after 5 minutes, she won a game. Sakuno was getting excited though her opponent was getting angry. As the match progressed on, her opponent would be aiming near Sakuno's knees causes her to bend more and lose energy.

'_My knees are starting to hurt…'_ Sakuno couldn't bend much more.

"4 games to 1." The ref announced.

'_I'm losing, why am I losing?'_ Sakuno asked as she chased another ball.

"This isn't good." Katou said.

"We need to stop the match, now. Sakuno's knees are red." Sakamoto said.

By now Sakuno's knees were a cherry red color. Sakuno also struggled to run around. Her body began to fail her. Just as she was about to catch another ball, she collapsed.

"Sakuno-chan!" Yumi called out first before the others followed. Then everything went dark for Sakuno.

--

Sakuno fluttered her eyes opened after hours of rest. She looked to her right then her left. She was in a white room with the light on a bit too brightly. As her eyes began to adjust, Sakuno stood up in a sitting position. Then she realized that she was in the hospital.

"What happened?" Sakuno asked, unsure if anyone was there.

"Sakuno-chan is awake." Usio said, tugging on Airi's shoulder. Airi woke up then alerted the rest and soon, everyone would be awake.

Sakuno noticed that all of the girls were just sleeping in a circle around her bed the whole time. Sakuno felt like crying for two reasons: first, she knew that she lost the match and wondered if it was her fault that they might have not won. Second, she was happy that her upperclassmen stayed there with her until they had to fall asleep waiting for her to wake up.

"How long have I been asleep?" Sakuno asked.

"Oh, not long just a couple of hours." Katou said.

"H-How did the match go?" Sakuno asked.

"We won." Yumi said though she wasn't very energetic.

"I thought we were going to lose when you passed out Sakuno." Emi said.

"No, I-I'm alright. You guys don't have to worry about me. You can go." Sakuno said.

"No, since we won, we're going to celebrate at Kawamura Sushi and you're coming along." Katou smiled.

"B-But I lost." Sakuno said.

"Yeah, even if you lost, we didn't lose. We can still go to the Kanto tournaments." Sakamoto said.

"Then I shouldn't go and celebrate because I lost-…" Sakuno was cut off.

"So what if you lost? If there is a celebration going on then you're always invited now let's go." Katou smiled. Sakuno felt like crying again because of how nice her upperclassmen were.

**~Kawamura Sushi~**

The girls arrived to Kawamura sushi after a couple of minutes. Sakuno had to walk around in crunches for a while because of her slightly injured legs. She also has to skip practice and rest her body.

"Yo, Taka-san!" Natsume said as she came in.

"Ah, it's Yamada-kun." Kawamura's father said. Natsume smiled and then noticed that the other regulars were there as well.

"Natsume-senpai, you know Kawamura-senpai?" Sakuno asked as she entered with the other regular girls. Natsume nodded at Sakuno's question.

"Ah, Kunimitsu!" Katou smiled. "I didn't know that you would be here with all of your friends. Well, the more the merrier." Katou smiled as she sat down next to Tezuka. Katou then ordered a lot of food.

The other girls followed Katou's example and tried to interact with the other regulars. Sakuno was a bit socially awkward at the moment since she was in crutches. The other regular began to ask.

"Sakuno-chan, what happened?" Eiji was the first to ask.

"Err…um, I f-fell down." Sakuno lied, settling near a table a bit far from the rest.

Sakuno didn't talk much since she was a bit sad about not being able to practice temporarily. She sighed again. She completely didn't notice that someone sat next to her and offered her a drink. She turned to her right to reject the offer but stopped.

Roma was sitting next to Sakuno, offering a can of ponta. Sakuno couldn't believe it, was she dreaming? "Ne, what really happened?" Ryoma asked while drinking a different can of ponta.

"Um…I lost the match…" Sakuno said, frowning a bit.

"And?" Roma said.

"A-And…?" Sakuno was puzzled.

"So what if you lose a match. I lose all the time." Ryoma said.

"Eh, lies!" Sakuno argued. Ryoma shook his head.

"It's true…damn old man." Ryoma said, thinking about his perverted father.

"Old man…?" Sakuno asked. They then started to talk and start conversations. But mostly Sakuno would talk and Ryoma would silently listen. Sakuno couldn't believe that her crush was talking to her. She would remember that he would stay silent most of the time. She would later begin to get used to the silence though she didn't mind Ryoma talking. She actually liked it a lot. All was well since she was smiling again.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	9. GNO

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT or the song GNO (you'll find out later)**

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Sakuno began to practice her shots once her legs recovered. She couldn't forgive herself from missing out on practice. Sakuno would even practice during lunch which made Ryoma hungry since she would always bring him a lunch box to eat.

"Sakuno-chan, why are you training here?" Amane asked. She saw Sakuno hitting the ball in the same spot for a number of times.

"Well, I need to make up for all the time I lost and all the practices I missed." Sakuno replied.

"That's true b-but if you overwork yourself then it would all be useless right?" Amane said. Sakuno sighed.

"You're right Amane-sempai, sorry." Sakuno apologized and bowed.

"Don't worry about it. Ah, I forgot to tell you, we're holding a GNO." Amane said.

"G…N…O?" Sakuno was confused. "What's a GNO?" she asked.

"Ah, I forgot that you're new regular. **GNO** stands for **G**irls **N**ight **O**ut. Basically we hang out at a random place and then we have a sleepover." Amane explained.

"Really? That sounds like…fun." Sakuno smiled.

"Yes but you need your parent's permission before you can go." Amane said.

"Ah, then I'll ask my grandma." Sakuno said.

"Um, let's go meet with the other regulars and discuss where we are going for Friday." Amane suggested.

"Ok." Sakuno agreed. She then followed Amane to the lunch courts.

--

"I'm telling you, you cannot take someone's socks out without taking their shoes off first." Katou said.

"It happened though! You see, I heard from a friend who heard from a friend who was told by her sister's cousin's boyfriend who heard it directly form the girl who actually saw it happen, that two bullies went and took the victims socks off without taking her shoes out." Yumi argued.

"What? You just heard it from different people. It's like gossip, someone says John has an Oreo cakester and it comes out like Joe has his first armpit hair. It's totally pointless unless if you see it yourself." Katou had on her self satisfied smile while chewing on her PB & Jay sandwich.

"I still believe it because that can actually happen!" Yumi said.

"Then how did it happen? Enlighten me, please?" Katou asked sarcastically.

"I just…well I…ugh, never mind!" Yumi gave up.

Amane and Sakuno entered by this time and sat near the other girl regulars. "Um, did everyone decide where we're going to go?" Amane asked shyly. She sat in between Katou and Yumi. Sakuno, on the other hand, sat next to Emi, who seemed to be harmless at the moment.

"Well, we've narrowed it down to Airi and Yumi's museum, the mall, and a festival that's coming soon." Sakamoto said, writing down all the choices in her notebook.

"Well, I think we should go to Airi's museum, I'll be able to sketch something new." Usio said, sketching something from her notebook.

"I second that, I want to see the monkeys!" Yumi smiled.

"Hmm, I guess monkeys like to keep in contact with their relatives." Sakamoto chuckled.

"What!? Sakamoto, I feel like beating you up!" Yumi said, trying to put up a tough front.

"Sit down or be put down." Sakamoto said with her business smile.

Yumi stuck her tongue out before sitting down. "Okay, so Friday we all go to the Nakashima museum." Katou said. Everyone else nodded.

And a certain data man was just around the corner, coincidentally listening in to the conversation.

**~Friday: Nakashima Museum~**

The girls were fired up for the day since it was an obvious girls' night out! Of course all of them showed up since they didn't want to miss the chance to go to a museum for free.

"Um, everyone is here…except Sakuno-chan…does anyone know where she is?" Katou asked.

"Um, the museum isn't hard to find and I'm pretty sure someone gave her directions." Amane said.

"If I wrote it down correctly, Sakuno-chan isn't very good in directions." Sakamoto stated. Everyone stared at her.

"Oh my god! What if she got lost!? What if she was attacked by some strange man who was actually an alien and then abducted Sakuno-chan to use her DNA to save their planet from the evil space monkeys from planet Banana!!???" Yumi started to cry.

Sakamoto smacked Yumi from the back of her head. "You watch too many movies. Do you see what the do to your brain? Sooner or later it will turn into a flat egg." Sakamoto scolded Yumi.

"S-Sakamoto, you don't need to smack her. I'm pretty sure Yumi is concerned about Sakuno just like the rest of us only she shows it in a…different way." Katou said.

"You're spoiling them too much." Sakamoto snorted.

"Ha ha, anyway, Sakuno-chan is probably on her way. Why don't you give her a call Sakamoto?" Katou asked.

Sakamoto sighed and gave in. She took out her cell phone (which she made herself) and dialed Sakuno's home phone number. She then had a small chat with her grandma, Sumire. After the small chat, Sakamoto hung up and told them the news.

"Well, it seems as though Sakuno-chan slept in and is franticly rushing to come." Sakamoto reported.

"See, it's alright Yumi." Yumi was crying and clinging on to Katou.

"Wah, thank goodness she's alive!" Yumi kept crying. Sakamoto smacked Yumi in the back of her head again.

"Of course she's alive. Now suck it up, we're here to have fun not fool around." Sakamoto said, pinching Yumi's cheeks out of irritation.

"There's a difference?" Yumi asked.

"Yes, there's something called a 'Dictionary', go to a magical place called the Library and look it up." Sakamoto pinched Yumi's cheeks again.

"S-Sakamoto…" Katou couldn't help Yumi because she was already in for it.

The girls were waiting in front of the entrance for Sakuno. They wanted to go into the museum quickly since, for some, it was their first time actually going in a museum. Amane checked her watch. Sakuno was already an hour late.

Meanwhile, a couple of familiar male regulars were in the bushes hiding (some were dragged like Tezuka and Ryoma). They were going to the museum too because of a certain data man's suggestion.

"Inui, why are we here again?" Momo asked.

"Data…" Inui pushed his glasses back up before writing.

The girls (and guys) suddenly heard screeching tires and turned their attention to the car that stopped. Sakuno got out of the car and bowed franticly to her upperclassmen. "I'm so sorry!" She repeated as she bowed for the umpteenth time.

"S-Sakuno-chan, it's alright. As long as we got still got a chance to go inside then it's alright." Katou tried to reassure Sakuno.

"But…next time you make others wait for an hour…" Sakamoto held up her special juice, "then you'll have to drink this twice a day for a week." She added.

"S-Sakamoto….isn't that a bit too much?" Katou asked, disgusted a bit herself.

"You have to discipline your cats or else they will cause chaos." Sakamoto business smiled.

The girls did not want to argue with Sakamoto at the moment so they stayed silent and went inside the museum. The boys silently followed (except Ryoma and Tezuka were dragged).

"The Nakashima Museum is different than most because we have real animals out here so it's half of a zoo and half of a museum." Airi explained.

"Wait…so you have to take care of the animals?" Natsume asked.

"Well, I take care of the animals with dad but there are other workers." Airi said.

"I want to see the lions." Natsume grinned.

"Chameleons…" Usio took out her sketch book.

"Vultures hehe…" Sakamoto chuckled lightly.

"Foxes!" Emi said, smiling.

"Um…bunnies are cute…" Amane slightly blushed.

"I want to see the white tigers!" Katou smiled.

"NO, NO, and NO! WE SHALL SEE THE MONKEYS FIRST!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Y-Yu-chan, calm down." Airi said. Sakamoto held up her juice to silence the regulars and it worked.

"Since this is Airi's territory, she gets to pick first." Sakamoto said. The other agreed except Yumi.

"But this is my territory too!" Yumi pouted. Sakamoto pinched her cheeks out of irritation again.

"You don't know anything about animals and you dare say that you will lead." Sakamoto did her normal business smile only more dangerous looking.

"Um, we can start with bunnies." Airi said. She was stealing Amane's suggestion since it was the easiest one to explain.

The girls agreed and followed Airi into a different section of the museum. Once they went through the gates, they were greeted by small bunnies. The guys also followed the girls but were a bit embarrassed to go in since…it was bunnies…and guys with bunnies just don't really flow especially when they're hot.

The girls, however, didn't notice the boys since they were listening to Airi's explanations.

"We are breeding the European rabbits. These rabbits live southwest of Europe basically Spain and Portugal. They are the only rabbits to be domesticated as pets or unfortunately for food in some parts of the countries." Airi explained. Some of the girls clapped.

"You're so knowledgeable, Airi." Katou smiled and patted her head.

"Thanks dad." Airi smiled then twitched. She just called Katou 'dad'.

"D-Dad?" Katou didn't know what to feel. She was blank.

"Yeah Captain Katou is like a dad once you think about it." Yumi said.

"Yeah, she kind of reminds me of my dad." Natsume agreed.

"She is kind of fatherly…" Amane blushed.

"Yeah, one of Katou's nicknames shall be Dad." Sakamoto wrote the detail in her notebook.

"What!? In case you forgot, I'm a WOMAN!" Katou said.

"Yeah but you're practically a guy. You read comics, shouen manga, dress in baggy clothing, eat large quantities of food, and you wear boxers." Emi said. The girls (as well as the guys) eyes widen.

"Katou…wears boxers…?" Yumi was speechless.

"I rest my case. Katou is a man with boobs." Emi giggled.

"I am a WOMAN and I can prove it!" Katou began to strip. The guys' eyes widened. Some turned away, blushing.

"Whoa, Katou, This isn't the place to strip. There are certain wolves that will eat naked bunnies." Emi said, giving Katou her baggy jacket.

"You're the one who said that I'm a man with boobs." Katou poked Emi on the side and put her jacket back on.

"Guys, can we move on?" Airi asked. The rest of the girls nodded. They followed Airi into different exhibits. The girls had a fun time and the boys loved seeing their reactions to the different animals like Usio staring at the chameleon blankly, Katou petting the lion and the tiger, and (the funniest one) Yumi fighting with the monkeys.

They stayed there until it began to rain. "Well, is everyone ready to go to Katou's house for the sleepover?" Sakamoto asked. The girls nodded. They rushed out of the museum and quickly followed Katou to her house. The boys coincidentally had to go the same way.

The rain went down harder. The girls quickly went into Katou's house (A.K.A. spa/inn) but the boys didn't know that so they went in too. Wonder what might happen when two teams of the opposite gender share the same roof for one night…

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word"**_

**A/N: Hope all you readers out there like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**

**And yes, I know GNO is a song but in this fic it is a term used so one female regular can tell another female regular that they are going to hang out. ^ ^ **


	10. The Hilarious Sleepover

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: this chapter is rated T! At least in my opinion I think it is. There will be lies, misunderstandings, Sakamoto's supplementary juice, Yumi telling a story about her moments, and Yumi saying disturbing things!**

**Double warning: This chap might be so funny and enjoyable that it will be too sickening for you so read at your own risk!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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The sleepover was on. The girls were barley able to contain themselves in their huge yet seemingly small room. They were excited and they were having fun.

"Hah, go fish!" Katou smacked the card on the table and grinned at Yumi.

Yumi flung her cards and they began to flutter all the way to the ground. "I want a rematch!" Yumi demanded.

"Oh, don't be a sore loser, Yumi-chan." Emi smiled at her.

"Go fish has nothing to do with fishes! Now, let's play speed instead." Yumi said.

"Okay, are you ready to lose cause I'm ready to win." Katou smiled. Yumi glared at her before they began their intense card match.

The other girls just rolled their eyes at the two. Usio and Natsume were having an arm wrestling match, Amane and Airi were talking about bunnies, Emi and Sakamoto were talking about future schemes, and Sakuno was just watching everyone else.

After Sakamoto and Emi were done with their schemes, they would get up, grabbing the girls' attention, and started to talk.

"Since we're all here and this is a sleepover, there is one thing we have to do," Emi paused for dramatic effect, "Tell secrets!" She smiled. Yumi and Katou dropped their cards, Usio and Natsume both lost in their arm wrestling match, and Amane's and Airi's jaws dropped.

"What are you planning?" Katou demanded.

"Oh, it's nothing at all." Emi smiled. Katou narrowed her eyes at Emi that signaled an-I'm-watching-you look.

Emi and Sakamoto wanted blackmailing material…I mean information on their good buddies (well, not really…). Sakamoto kept her business smile before speaking. "Let's play 20 questions." Sakamoto said, taking out her notebook.

"Yeah everyone starts at 0 and when they reach 20, they can't be asked anymore questions. I'll start, um…Katou," Emi grinned. "Do you like anyone?" She giggled.

"I have more then one person. I like you, Sakamoto, all of the girl regulars, my teachers, Kunimitsu, my sister, my mom-…" Katou was cut off.

"No I mean as in love, dating, and couples!" Emi tried to pass the message through Katou's thick skull.

"Oh, then it's a no." She said, blankly. Emi sighed _'No dirt yet…'_ she thought.

"Okay, it's your turn Katou." Sakamoto said.

"Okay um…Sakamoto, what's in your juice?" Katou daringly asked.

Sakamoto paused just so she can scare her friends. It worked. The girls were shaking at her silence. Sakamoto was about to laugh at their faces but answered her question instead. "Hmm, it's all edible…food…" Sakamoto slightly chuckled. The girls felt a sudden chill.

"Anyway, since it's my turn, I have a question for Yumi. What was the most horrible thing you did?" Sakamoto asked.

Yumi paused. "There are so many things I have done, too many to count, be more specific." Yumi said, not even hesitating.

"Okay…anything horrible enough to involve the police?" Sakamoto asked, holding out her notebook and pencil.

"…….Hmm, there was that one time at the mall……" Yumi began.

_~Flashback~_

_Yumi was feeling very bored. She was at the mall, waiting for her sister to finish her shopping. Yumi, who could probably die from her boredom, started to walk around the mall just looking for something to do._

_She saw a neat little store that sold cool looking product. Yumi went inside and purchased a few items. She had a self satisfied smile when she left. Yumi then looked at her items. She bought a monster make-up kit, a toy gun, a fake police uniform, and fast drying glue._

_Yumi decided that she wanted to try on the make-up kit so she went into the girls' restroom and tried on the uniform. She also put on some monster make-up. Yumi looked at herself from the bathroom mirror. She grinned because she looked like a mutated police werewolf._

_She then got out of the bathroom with the toy gun on her right and the glue on her left. She obviously forgot to take off her make-up and clothes. Yumi walked around the mall. People were running away from her and screaming that she was a monster. It wasn't until she saw a small store that sold mirrors did she notice._

_Yumi grinned, thinking of messing with people. She took out her toy gun that was painted black and looked like a pistol, the ones a policeman would use. Yumi just messed around by growling at random people._

_Then the police were informed and they were after her. Yumi got scared and ran away. As she was running, one of the policemen shot her left side, the one with the glue strapped on. The glue then spilled all over the floor so by the time the policemen got to the fast drying glue, they were stuck._

_Yumi ran into the girls' restroom again, washing away all the make-up. She left the monster make-up kit, the fast drying empty glue bottle, the police uniform, and toy gun behind. She made herself look normal enough and headed out._

"_Yu-chan, we have to get out of here. The police are looking for some crazy lunatic." Airi said, grabbing Yumi's hand and evacuating the building._

_~End of flashback~_

"You mean you were the lunatic!?" Airi asked. The girls jaws all dropped.

"You mean to tell me that the two girls who coincidentally found the glue, toy gun, police uniform, and the make-up kit were innocent!?" Natsume asked.

"One of the girls was a police woman too!" Katou added.

"Well, it was their fault for finding it." Yumi defended herself.

"It was your fault for leaving it!" Airi argued.

"Wonderful, now I have to add another rule." Sakamoto took out the black leather rule book. She wrote a couple of words in and put it away.

"Guys…I think Sakuno-chan fainted again." Amane informed. The girls turned towards Sakuno who was lying on the floor.

"OMG, I killed Sakuno-chan with my awesome story telling skills!" Yumi exclaimed. Sakamoto smacked Yumi in the back of the head and sighed.

"Well since you broke rule #75, you have to taste my new version of supplementary juice." Sakamoto chuckled. She then handed Yumi a glass of something that LOOKS like melon juice.

"B-But, you asked the question…a-and I answered it!" Yumi argued.

"Doesn't matter, you broke the rule." Sakamoto business smiled. Yumi sighed, knowing that she wouldn't win against Sakamoto. She braced herself, preparing for the worst. She drank the 'Melon' juice.

The juice defiantly did not taste like melons. At first, she could taste a melon flavor but it quickly went away as a new flavor kicked in. it tasted vile and disgusting, she also felt some chunks of god knows what when it came down.

Yumi looked pale and terribly sick. "Oh GOD, What the hell did you put in there!?" Yumi ran away to the restroom. After a long series of groans, Yumi came back looking like she was half dead.

"Sa…ka…mo…to…" Yumi then fainted. The girls' jaws dropped again. They turned to Sakamoto. She was writing in her notebook…while smiling!?

"Good, the results are effective." She chuckled lightly and kept her business smile.

Katou's eye twitched. "S-Sakamoto, are you trying to kill us?" Katou said wearily.

"Of course not, who else am I going to test my juice on? Besides, you're the only group that can handle it." Sakamoto business smiled.

"U-Um…let's all go take a bath…" Katou tried to lift up the mood. Katou then carried Sakuno and tried to wake her up. When Sakuno woke up, Katou informed her about what happened when she fainted though it was an edited version.

After a while, the girls then went into the bathroom where they played around most of the time especially Yumi.

"Oh god!" Yumi shouted as she slipped on some soap. The girls sweat dropped.

"Yu-chan…" Airi couldn't help Yumi's retardedness.

"Whoa, Amane-chan is packed!" Yumi shouted, pointing at Amane. She just came in and was already trying to shy her way from the limelight but that was impossible when Yumi was around and she directed her attention on a victim.

"Man, Oishi-pion has it loaded. Look at how big her boobs are!" Yumi walked towards Amane and poked her boobs.

"Y-Yumi-san…" Amane blushed and tried to hide.

"Aw, come on Amane-chan. I bet Oishi-pion is thinking about you!" Yumi shouted.

"Yumi! Quit messing with Amane. She's already embarrassed and who knows what guy might be listening next door." Katou said.

"So there are guys bathing next door," Yumi asked. "And the can listen in to whatever we say?" Katou nodded. Yumi stayed silent for a moment.

"Katou is a man with boobs and loves Tezuka! Amane has a huge bust and wants to kiss Oishi-pion! Emi has a mole on her butt and dreams of marrying Fuji! Airi's body is small and she wants to cuddle with that weirdo who looks like a snake! Natsume is out to get Kawamura for cheating on her! Usio has a flat chest and secretly likes to mess with Momo! Sakuno-chan is probably thinking about that Echizen kid! Sakamoto bathes with a swim suit on and is secretly dating Inui-….!" Sakamoto smacked Yumi in the head really hard.

"Yumi…You do know that I am authorized to lock you up for life and let you rot?" Sakamoto's business smile was on but she had a dark aura surrounding her.

**Emi:** "Who said I have a mole on my butt!? I do not dream about Fuji-san!"

**Katou:** "I am not a MAN! I'm a WOMAN and I love Tezuka just not in the way you're thinking!"

**Airi:** "I-I do not want to cuddle with anyone! And I'm not small!"

**Amane:** "What do you mean I would want to k-k-k-kiss O-Oishi-san!?"

**Usio:** "Who would like that idiot!?"

**Natsume:** "What do you mean I'm out to get Kawamura-san? We never dated!"

**Sakuno:** "I-I n-never t-think about R-Ryoma-kun."

Yumi then ran out of the bathroom. She wanted to avoid the girls since they were now out to get her. She especially wanted to avoid Sakamoto and Katou. Katou looked like a wild beast while Sakamoto was a falcon hunter. Both wanted to tear Yumi apart yet one would hurt her physically and the other mentally.

* * *

The boys didn't know that the girls went into the same spa/inn. They also didn't know that they would be sleeping next door to the girls. And they definitely didn't know the girls would be in the bath at the same time they were going. They didn't mean to hear all of those secrets or crazy stories.

The guys would never be the same again. They defiantly couldn't act the same when facing any of the girls especially Yumi since she was a … wild person. They all also had their thoughts that would haunt them forever.

'_Cuddling…with Nakashima-san…' _Kaido blushed at the thought. She went to the bathroom, too embarrassed to come out.

'_Too bad I didn't get to see their reactions. It would have been funny especially Emi-san'_ Fuji smiled at his thoughts.

'_Kissing Amane-san???'_ Oishi blushed.

'_I'm not an idiot. That Kumiko is getting on my last nerve!'_ Momo thought angrily.

'…_is Yamada-san out to get me?'_ Kawamura thought.

'_Katou should put Nakasima-san under control…Katou doesn't love me in that way, right??'_ Tezuka densely thought as he sighed.

'_Yumi-chan sure shook everyone up! I think I just saw Kaido look a bit red. He also went into the bathroom. Nyaa, that's suspicious.'_ Eiji stared at the bathroom door, waiting for Kaido to come out.

'_Interesting data but some of it doesn't seem true…there is no way I'm secretly dating Miharu…'_ Inui's mind was in a jumble.

'_Ryuzaki is thinking about me? Why would she do that???'_ Ryoma densely thought.

As the boys had their little mini chaos, the girls were next door sleeping peacefully. They had no clue that the guys were next door, accidentally listening in to everything.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	11. A Surprising Captain and a New Goal

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Katou was feeling good in the morning. Even though last night was a bit hectic, she still found everything fun. And even though Yumi was a possible future criminal, she was okay to hang out with…for now…

Katou got up and went to go serve the guests since she did have to work in the inn with her mom and her younger sister wasn't really much help other than making the guests smile with her cuteness. Katou walked out the door and spotted her mom. She the walked to her and began a conversation.

"Good morning mom. Are there any guests I have to serve today?" She asked. Her mother shook her head.

"No but we did have a huge amount of boys come in yesterday in the rain. I believe little Kuni-kun was there as well," her mom smiled. "I also put them right next to your room where your friends are. Isn't that just lovely? I was going to tell you but you were having so much fun in your room that I didn't want to disturb you and your wonderful friends…Katou, are you alright?" Her mother added.

Katou was already pale. _'How much do they know?'_ she thought. _'Wait, Yumi was shouting in the room saying I'm a man with boobs…did Kunimitsu hear that!?'_ she wanted to kill Yumi so badly right now.

"Oh and they also went inside the spa a few minutes after you entered with your friends. They were all red when the came out hehe." Katou's mother added. Katou felt like dying.

'_Oh my god…I'm pretty sure Amane, Airi, Sakuno-chan and Natsume would die of embarrassment. Sakamoto and Usio will not react except maybe try to blackmail the guys. Emi would faint of shock…' _Katou kept playing millions of scenarios in her head.

"Mom, I'll go prepare breakfast for my friends." She staggered to the kitchen.

"Okay, have fun dear!" Her mother smiled, not knowing her own daughter's horror.

'_What am I supposed to say to the others? Wait, maybe the guys didn't hear anything. I can't be sure unless I see them…'_ Katou thought.

Katou laughed hysterically and then almost fainted. She quickly got up and started to prepare breakfast. This would be a day where Katou would never tell the rest of the girls that the guys were there right next to them, sleeping under the same roof.

_~Monday: Back in School~_

"Katou, you look horrible." Sakamoto commented.

"Only one truth will never be told." She mumbled.

"Now you're talking nonsense." Emi added.

"Oh come on, we have to hurry to practice." Katou said, dragging both Sakamoto and Emi to the courts.

As soon as they arrived, the regulars were already there but Sakuno was the first one to be on the courts practicing her shots. She would be practicing with a second year. She would show no mercy and would make sure the shots were hard to return.

"I still haven't shown my full potential!" Sakuno's opponent said.

Sakuno couldn't believe that there were dishonest people but then again there were times like that when she saw some of Ryoma's matches in middle school so she couldn't be too sure about it.

Sakuno had been beating a number of kids. She would challenge each one when they were finished changing. She had a goal, a motive, and she wanted to get there so bad.

"Sakuno-chan, I need to talk to you." Katou said. Sakuno nodded and went next to her captain.

"Sakuno…I want to play a match with you." Katou said. Sakuno was so shocked to hear that. She knew that the captain was always smiling and never looked serious but she didn't look playful because Katou had more like a comfortable, casual air around her. Sakuno also noticed that Katou said her name without a suffix.

"Uh…why do you want to have a match with me all of a sudden?" She asked.

"Why do you want to challenge all the girls that come out of the changing room all of a sudden?" Katou asked. Sakuno took a step back.

"Okay, I'll play a match against you captain." She said. It would be a wonderful opportunity to play a match against her captain. She had never seen her style of play because the match she had with Tezuka was too short.

'_If I can beat the captain then I'll be one step closer to beating Ryoma-kun'_ Sakuno thought, determined.

"We'll play after practice when everyone leaves." Katou said. She then walked away, dismissing Sakuno. Sakuno nodded and went back to practice.

**-After Practice-**

Everything seemed peaceful and steady. The wind would gentle blow, the tree would slightly move, and it would be quiet. Yet there were two girls still at the courts, Katou and Sakuno.

"You serve first." Katou said. Sakuno shook her head.

"No, you go first captain." She smiled.

"I said you serve Sakuno." Katou said as she slightly glared at her. Sakuno was a bit shocked. The always kind and happy captain looked like she was angry. Sakuno nodded and went to go serve first. _'Why is the captain acting so weird?'_ She asked herself.

Sakuno started her serve, sending the ball to the right corner of Katou's field. Katou returned it easily. She knew that Sakuno was only testing her first to try to figure out her style and then counter it since Sakuno didn't see Katou's playing style during the match with her and Tezuka. After that, it broke into a rally. During their rally, Katou and Sakuno would hold a conversation.

"What's your motive for playing tennis, Sakuno?" Katou asked, returning the ball to the far left of the court.

"There…I want to beat someone, to make him notice me." Sakuno replied, returning the ball with a load of power to the center of Katou's court.

"That's all? Nothing else?" She asked, returning the ball again.

"What do you mean? That's all." Sakuno replied returning the ball.

Katou watched the all carefully. She watched it slow down and she could hear her heart beats slow down as well. _'One…two…three!'_ she counted three heart beats and hit the ball in drop shot fashion. The ball quickly went over the net but slowed down and dropped near the net. She had just done a rougher version of Amane's timed ball.

Sakuno was speechless. "A-Amane-sempai's drop shot called timed ball." Sakuno said out loud, almost breathless.

Katou didn't stop at Sakuno's reaction. She went to the back of the court to begin her serve. As she served, Sakuno slowly regained her conscious back. She watched as Katou served the ball, not believing the shot that she just did a few moments ago.

"Tell me Sakuno," Katou served the ball only with her stance changing slightly. "After you beat him, what will you do next?" she asked as the ball made its way to Sakuno's side of the court.

Sakuno made her way up to net, attempting to return the ball. She was too late since the ball bounced up towards her face but when to Katou's side of the court b hitting the fence. The shot was Katou's reverse kick serve.

"I…I'll think about it when it happens." She said.

"Think about it now." Katou returned the ball and scored a point. She had been winning the whole time. It was already 4 games to love.

"The whole team called you Sakuno-chan for different reasons. My reason for calling you Sakuno-chan," Katou returned the ball and scored another point, "was because I didn't fully accept you to the team." She finished.

Sakuno felt a pang in her heart. _'Did everyone else think this way too?'_ She thought. She noticed that the girls would call each other either their first or last name but without a suffix (Excluding when Airi calls out to 'Usio-chan' or when Emi calls Katou 'Neko-chan').

"I already knew your motives were different from ours. We are a team that loves to play tennis. If you want to beat someone then fine. When you beat that someone, you have to get out of the team." Katou said, scoring the last point with her winning 6 games to love.

"If I'm correct, the person you want to beat is Echizen. I can't beat Kunimitsu yet he's on the same level as Echizen maybe more or less and since you can't beat me, you can't beat Echizen." Katou said.

"But I won a game against him!" She argued.

"Did he use his twist serve even once?" She asked. Sakuno froze. She quickly scanned her memory of the match, trying not to miss a single detail. She noticed that he didn't use any special moves on her and he still won those 3 games.

"The Kanto tournaments are coming. The only ones that can participate are the family of friends, in other words, the Seigaku High Regular Girls' team." Katou held out her hand to Sakuno and smiled.

"Be a part of our family." She said. Sakuno felt bad. Tennis was a sport that held the 'family of friends' together and she disturbed the balance but now she could be a part of that family.

"I can't…" She said. It surprised Katou a bit. "I can't because I don't have your motives but…I still want to be a part of it." She added quietly.

"Then be a part of it." Sakuno looked up to hear a different voice. It was the girls lined up near fence. "We all have our reasons for being here and our motives changed the longer we stayed here" Emi smiled.

"We already think of you as part of our family. If we didn't then we probably would have gone to a park instead of the museum when the GNO started." Amane said.

"Yeah, besides, Sakuno-chan, we all love you like a little sister!" Yumi shouted. Sakuno felt something pat her head. She looked up and saw Katou softly patting her head.

"You better go home, Sakuno-chan. I bet there's someone waiting for you." Katou smiled. Sakuno didn't know what she meant but she left in a hurry, wanting to know if Katou was lying or not.

Sakuno ran to the entrance and saw a shad figure standing there. As she came closer, she noticed that she shady person was drinking a can of ponta and everyone knows what little bugger drinks so much ponta that he's practically 80% grape ponta instead of water.

"R-Ryoma-kun? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Waiting for you, what took you so long?" He asked nonchalantly.

Sakuno knew that Roma was like this. She would always come to him all the time, trying to strike up a conversation with him and after 2 years of trying, the guy would finally begin talking back like he was more comfortable. Sakuno found Ryoma to be very cat-like since it would take her a long time to make this cat more comfortable around her.

She also noticed that he would be nicer to her yet not show a lot due to his 0% experience in love and 100% density as Sakamoto predicted. She knew that he wouldn't know her feelings and she was fine with that because at least he was more comfortable around her.

The two walked home and Sakuno began to remember her goal. _'Beat Ryoma-kun and make him notice me…'_ She smiled at her goal.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	12. Extra: Why I Play Tennis

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: This chap will be told in different POVs.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

After the talk she had with the captain, Sakuno wondered what each girl was doing on the tennis team. She could guess on some of them but the others didn't seem like they would be in tennis at all. Like Usio should have been in a painting club, Natsume in a dojo, Amane in a cooking/gardening class, Sakamoto in a science club/mathematics club/student council, Airi in an animal appreciation club, and Yumi in a different sport like gymnastics. She thought that Katou was okay in a tennis club but Emi was a bit shady.

Sakuno decided that she would ask about it since it seemed like a simple question. As she was walking towards the courts, she noticed that the regulars were huddled up.

"Um, sempais?" Sakuno called out, coming closer. The girls stop their talking and turned to Sakuno with their full attention. "Yeah?" Katou asked.

"Um…can I ask you a question, all of you?" She asked. They girls then looked at each other and looked back at Sakuno, blank-faced.

"Uh, sure, what do you need to know?" Airi asked.

"Um…I was wondering why you guys started tennis. I thought that some of you would be in a different club. The girls stared at Sakuno. The all wondered why she asked that question.

"Why do you want to know?" Yumi asked.

"Um well I…never mind!" Sakuno ran away. She didn't know why but she felt like running away.

"…Sakuno-chan…is acting a bit strange, ne?" Emi said. The other girls nodded.

--

Sakuno started to walk around the changing rooms. She felt a bit dejected since she was part of their 'family' for only a short time and wondered if they considered her a real family friend. She sighed as she spotted a small can of opened cherry ponta.

Sakuno had obtained the habit of drinking cherry ponta when she was depressed but she didn't know why. She grabbed the cherry ponta and drank the thing down. She twitched as it came down since it tasted somewhat like one of Sakamoto's juices.

Sakuno spit it out and coughed. _'W-What did I drink?'_ She thought to herself as she was having her horror moment. She felt her insides burn and her bones felt like they were melting. _'Is Sakamoto-sempai's juice enough to kill me!?'_ she thought. Everything was suddenly getting bigger.

Sakuno felt so weird when everything stopped growing. She sighed and started to walk but tripped and noticed her hands_. 'Wait…I don't have a hair disorder or really small hands. So…why are my hands furry and why can't I see my thumbs?'_ She asked then she began to run. She ran on four feet.

Sakuno was getting more scared every second. She tried to find something that would reflect herself like a mirror then she thought of the fountain in the front entrance. Sakuno ran all the way over there, never stopping. When she finally reached the fountain, she jumped on the edge and looked at herself.

She was shocked to find out that she had turned into a cat. _'W-What was in Sakamoto-senpai's drink!? Why was it even there in the first place!?' _Sakuno thought as she freaked out from her sudden catness.

"NYAAA!!!" translation: I don't want to be a cat!!!

* * *

**Katou**

Sakuno-chan was really unusual today. I mean she asked us about why we play tennis. But then again, I wonder why the others joined in now that she asked that. I think it's a really good question since those girls had been slowly coming in one after another.

I remember that I started the group then Emi and Sakamoto followed me. Amane came in and she's related to Sakamoto and she's good friends with Natsume and Yumi. Airi came right with her sister and then Usio was the last to come into the group. It's strange how everyone connects to another and it all started with a game of tennis.

"Nyaa." I heard a small meow from my window. I looked up and saw a cat. The little cat was so cute and it kind of reminded me of Sakuno-chan. This cat had brown fur and chocolate brown eyes that were more rounded than sharp like a normal cat.

"Nyaa." The cat meowed again. I think I'll call it Sakura since it must be a girl and she reminds me of Sakuno-chan.

"Your name shall be Sakura. Hmm, I think I'll tell you about why I play tennis. It all started when I was a little kid…" I began.

_~Flashback~_

I was sitting near a tennis court. I was lost and my parents were no where in sight. I felt alone and hated. I thought my parents didn't like me anymore and left me behind. I was crying near the tennis courts. At that day, a festival was going on so there would be fireworks.

As a little girl, the fire works looked like blooming flowers in the sky to me. I started to cry because I thought that I wouldn't be like the blooming flowers in the sky. I wanted to be pretty like the flowers and glow brighter than the moon.

"…You shouldn't cry." A small voice said to me. I turned around and saw a cute boy with golden brown hair and beautiful deep brown eyes.

"B-But m parents don't want me because they left me here." I replied, still crying.

"They wouldn't leave you…how about you and I play together with my grandfather." He offered.

I smiled at him thinking that he was really nice then his face turned a reddish color for some reason.

--

"You didn't tell me that you play tennis, Kunimitsu." I said a few years later when I discovered this little detail that I missed. Kunimitsu only shrugged it off and replied with an 'hn'. He was always so quiet except during the festival because he looked more shy than quiet.

"Can you teach me tennis?" I asked. I grew annoyed that he didn't tell me and I wondered why he lightened up a bit when I came asking him about tennis. What's so special about tennis?

Kunimitsu eventually taught me how to play tennis and we played millions of times yet I would always lose. I wouldn't even get a single point off him. He was very amazing.

Then I moved to America and after 1 year, I came back. Kunimitsu had made many friends yet he looked stoic but I knew better. I knew he was happy and I noticed that he was more passionate about tennis.

Truthfully, I felt hurt. I wondered what was so special about tennis. Then when I played another match against Kunimitsu, I lost but I won a single game. I felt so light and happy when he praised me for winning a math against him.

I don't know why but I couldn't stop playing tennis. I would play in harsh weather, practice every day, and enjoy every second of it. When I started high school, I entered the girls' tennis team but found them to be weak.

I couldn't change anything since I was a first year and the girls would threaten me if I tried to rise up. I didn't listen and I beat every single one of them in a tennis match. They were about to gang up on me and beat me up but the principal just happened to be walking by with Sakamoto and Emi by his side.

They got in trouble and I became the new captain of the team. Eventually, Emi and Sakamoto joined shortly after.

_~End of Flashback~_

"Thinking about it makes me feel good. I wonder if I was too harsh on Sakuno-chan. I think she hates me now." I said to the cat that reminded me of Sakuno-chan. seriously, that little kitty is sooo cute just like Sakuno-chan. Hmm…maybe I should give this cat to Sakuno-chan.

Sakura extended her little paw out. I wonder if she was trying to sympathize with me.

* * *

**Emi**

Katou was super funny today. She brought a cat to school. She said that she was going to give it to Sakuno-chan. I don't know about that but that cat looks a lot like Sakuno-chan. Katou gave it to me instead and told me to give it to Sakuno-chan because she thinks that Sakuno-chan hates her.

I don't know if Sakuno-chan hates Katou but if she does then I just have to change her thinking a lot.

"So can you give Sakura to Sakuno?" Katou smiled. She always had a nice smile. I took the cat and nodded.

"Alright, Neko-chan. Go ahead and talk to your beloved Tezuka-sama!" I teased. I then saw Katou's cheeks grow a bit red. I told her that her cheeks were red and she became confused.

She's too innocently dense for her own good. Sometimes I wonder if I should be a little nicer to her but then again, it's funny when she gets her rarely embarrassed moments.

"Nyaa." I forgot about the cat that was on my lap. I was supposed to give it to Sakuno-chan.

"You're a really cute cat. You remind me of Sakuno-chan." I said. The cat sort of flinched when I said her name. But now that I think about it, Sakuno-chan asked a strange question yesterday. I remember that she asked us about why we play tennis. I thought it was a dumb question because I started to play tennis when Katou started to play tennis.

_~Flashback~_

I was a small kid then. I met Katou by my parents. They always came to the same spa all the time. We were supposedly destined to be buddies since our mothers' mothers (grandmothers) were best buddies.

I really didn't care. I just wanted to get the spa trip over with and not even meet up with this girl who was my destined best buddy. _'I don't need friends. They hold you down all the time.'_ I would always think to myself.

Kids apparently love bullying me for no reason especially the boys in my classroom. They always pulled my hair and called me names. I didn't like much boys and I was always secretly hated by the girls so I didn't have a single friend.

"Hello, welcome to the spa, miss." I saw a little boy or at least I thought the kid was a boy. I mean, his face was cute and a bit girly but he had short hair and was wearing little boys' clothes.

"Err, hello…" I said.

"My name is Katou, what's yours?" He smiled.

"Emi," I said plainly. What was he trying to do? Softening me up and then going for the kill or something? I was so not going to fall for that.

"Okay, let's go bathe together in the spa, Ems." I can't believe he pronounced my name wrong but what's the use in trying to correct it since he looks like one of those happy idiots.

We both went into the same bath. We both took off our clothes and hopped into the spa. It was really fun but then I remembered my mom told me that boys and girls aren't supposed to bathe with each other.

"Err, Katou?" I asked. He turned his head to me and smiled.

"Um, my mom told me that girls and boys don't bathe together." I said.

"Oh okay…but what does that have to do with me?" He said.

"Err…you're a boy right?" I asked. He stared at me then he began to laugh to loud that I thought my ears were breaking.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Ems, haha…I'm a girl." He-…I mean she replied.

"What?" I was dumbfounded.

"I may look like a guy but I'm a girl. I just wear boys clothes a lot and I may act a bit like one too hehe." She smiled. I just stared at her. She was a strange person.

"Oh, Emi, you met your destined best friend!" my mom as well as Katou's mom came in and said that. I just opened my mouth, un-be-lieve-a-ble.

--

"Hey, let's walk together, Ems!" Katou smiled and waved at me. I glared at her.

"Whatever Neko-kun." I thought about that name since she was playing with a cat the other day. I wanted her to feel bad for getting her name wrong since she did the same too but she didn't even look the slightest bit mad. She just smiled and ran to my side. What a stupid loyal dog.

--

"Look its Emi the bookworm." One of my classmates said to me. He was one of the regular bullies that mess with me all the time. I glared at him. I hated other kids since they would always bug me and even if there were people who were willing to be my friend, they were all too weak.

"Give me that book." He grabbed my book and shoved me out of my seat. He then began to do a parody of me reading. He was so stupid. I really want to beat him up but if I do, I'll get in trouble.

"What are you doing!?" I looked up to see Katou grabbing the book away from the bully and punching him. He had a bruise forming. He ran away crying.

"Why didn't anyone do anything and how come no one helped Emi for even one second!?" She yelled. I never seen her so angry before and she even called me by my first name.

--

A few years later, Katou and I became best friends. She also made friends with another girl named Miharu Sakamoto. She is really strange. I always felt, at times, like she was competing with me. Whenever I got her a homemade dessert, Sakamoto would give her a gourmet dessert from a top chef.

I wondered why she didn't like me but seemed to adore Katou so much that she would follow Katou around most of the time.

Katou then started to take up tennis. I wondered why she did that. She never seemed to like one sport so much. One time she would be in soccer and the next probably basketball.

"Hey, Neko-chan, why did you take up tennis?" I asked one day.

"Because…playing tennis is fun." She smiled so happily when she said it.

_~End of Flashback~_

"Too bad Sakuno-chan isn't here. I'll give you to Sakamoto." I said, smiling a bit when remembering the good times of my childhood.

* * *

**Sakamoto**

Why would Emi give me this cat? It's ridiculous because I don't like cats much. Hmm…this cat also looks like Sakuno-chan. Oh, and come to think of it, my experiment on the cherry ponta juice is gone. I wonder who drank it.

I stared at the cat. Its body seemed to heat up and I could feel its muscles tense up. This cat is definitely Sakuno-chan but she doesn't know that I know.

"Hmm, such a cute cat." I patted 'Sakura's' head and smiled. 'Sakura' relaxed and had a small sigh of relief. Now that was way too easy to figure out.

"Sakuno-chan asked the weirdest question yesterday." He cat tensed up at the sound of Sakuno. I knew this cat was Sakuno-chan. She's way too easy to figure out.

I think I'll go along and tell her why I play tennis.

_~Flashback~_

"Smith enterprise is honored to gain one of your great inventions. They are so unique and only an absolute genius could come up with this."A business man negotiated with my parents.

"Well, our daughter is an absolute genius. Come out, Sakamoto." My mom used a business smile to lure me in. I mimicked her and did a business smile when I entered.

"Hello Mr. Smith." I bowed politely to him.

"What a wonderful daughter you have." He smiled. That smile was so fake. I already knew that he was lying.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith." My mom smiled at the man. I knew that she also suspected that he was lying.

I can see past anyone and my parents aren't exceptions.

--

My parents often go into an infamous spa. They claim that the spa was owned by one of their good friends. But that spa had nothing special about it. The food was ordinary, the service was okay, and the bath wasn't all that great.

'_There was absolutely nothing special about this spa'_ was my conclusion.

"Hello, what's your name?" A boy came up to me and smiled. He was weird.

"Miharu Sakamoto, what's your name?" I did a business smile. I knew it was fake but this boy looks like an idiot so he wouldn't notice.

"…You're not that happy to see me right?" He said. I paused for a moment. _'How did he know?'_ I thought as I came back with a composed face.

"Of course I'd want to see you silly." I smiled cutely, hoping that he wouldn't notice my shift in character.

"You're lying. You're Miharu Sakamoto from Miharu corps. Their daughter is brought up as a polite genius and you shifted your character knowing that I didn't know you well enough so you can cover it up." He said. He didn't seem so much like an idiot now from that simple deduction but I can fake anything and no one can see through me.

"You're right but I do like you. I was sick of being polite all the time and I thought that no one would know me here so I could change my personality." I easily lied to him.

"You just used my deductions and tried to clear it all up with a simple lie." He said. I couldn't believe it. This boy is the only one who could see right through me. That is the most terrifying thing in the world when you live behind a see though shell almost your whole life.

--

It turns out that the boy was actually a girl b the name of Momoko Katou. I defiantly won't like her. I never saw her again until my 3rd year in middle school. I had made friends with Fujimoto Emi. We started off as partners in science class.

She would always invite Katou along whenever she invited me to their sleepovers. Katou seemed to remember me. Her smiles were still the same.

At the time, I was always alone since my parents thought it was okay to leave me since I was a 'grown-up'. Every day when I came home to eat dinner, I would always eat alone at the table. No one visited me and my parents never called.

I was a person who could live alone. It's something common. Even though I was childhood friends with Inui Sadaharu, we never made much contact. It seemed as though he had some better things to do.

I was alone again, sitting at the end of the table and eating the best nutritional food in the world. No one would come and bother me because I lived in solitary and I was fine with that. I quietly ate m food then m robot maid came to me and informed me of a guest.

Guests…I never had guests before. I got up and went to my door to figure out who disrupted my dinner. When I opened the door, I saw the smiling girl with food carefully wrapped.

"Sakamoto, can I eat over at your house?" She asked. Does she think we are close friends? Why would she want to meet me in my house to eat? Maybe the teacher asked her to be my friend. Do I look like an imbecile? I won't fall for that.

"I'm sorry, I have guests over." I did m now natural business smile. It shows up more when she's here but she always sees through it.

"Sakamoto, why do you always lie to me?" She asked. Her eyes looked a bit sad and hurt.

"What are you talking about?" I asked politely.

"There are no cars around your entrance, No one knows where you live other than the teacher, and you smile is fake." She said.

I couldn't believe it. There was someone who could find my weakness and instead of rubbing it in like any other person would do, she would help me. I guess that's what friends are.

--

I later began to compete with Emi for Katou's attention. It seemed like a childish thing to do but I soon earned appreciation for Emi since she too loves Katou as a good friend. So when Katou started to play tennis and Emi joined in, I started playing just so I can stay by their side and maybe understand why Inui liked tennis as well.

_~End of Flashback~_

'Sakura' seemed to be crying. Seriously, I never told anyone, not even Katou, about why I play tennis.

"Sakuno-chan is a special girl after all." I smiled at the cat.

* * *

**Amane**

My cousin, Sakamoto, gave me a cat and told me to give it to Sakuno-chan. This cat looks very familiar and it looks a lot like Sakuno-chan since she has brown hair and brown eyes, just like this little cat named Sakura.

The cat seemed to be in a daze. That's a bit funny since I don't think cat would be daydreaming like a normal person would. I pet the little thing. She was just so cute.

And speaking of Sakuno-chan, she asked the strangest question. She asked why we played tennis. That was an easy question because I played tennis right after Sakamoto and Katou-san joined.

~Flashback~

"Amane, this person is a good friend of mine." Sakamoto smiled at me. She suddenly had a brighter face ever since meeting this good friend of hers.

"What's his name?" I asked.

"Momoko Katou," She replied.

I thought it would be a boy since Katou is a boys' name. When we finally met him at the café, there was a girl next to him. He was a tall boy. He wore a black cap, baggy pants, baggy shirt, navy blue zip up jacket, and sneakers. He was really handsome.

"Hello." He smiled. His voice was a bit feminine but a bit low and his smile melted my heart. He was my first crush.

"U-Um, h-hello." I stuttered. Why am I so shy?

"You're Sakamoto's cousin Amane, right?" He smiled. My heart began to flutter and I felt butterflies in my stomach. He was really nice too.

--

I was excited when I started my first year in Seigaku high. I wanted to go so badly because I wanted to meet him again. When I entered the school, I saw both Sakamoto and Emi-san. We both walked to the courts and I met another girl. She was really pretty and she had blue eyes just like my crush.

My heart fluttered for some reason when I saw her. She was really pretty. I wonder if she had a good looking boyfriend because just like Sakamoto says a lot 'beautiful people attract more beautiful people'.

"Hello Amane." She smiled. She smiled the same way Katou-san does.

"Um, do I know you?" I asked. She was probably his sister since they look so much alike.

"That's a funny joke, Amane-chan. That's Katou, the one you met at the café a couple of months ago." Emi smiled.

I was so shocked I almost fainted. My first crush was destroyed.

But I still liked Katou. She was like a leader. She reminded me a bit like Sakamoto. I decided that I should follow her and Sakamoto since I really like them both.

_~End of Flashback~_

"And that's why I joined the tennis club." I said to Sakura. Sakura's eyes widened and her mouth was wide open. I wonder if she understood what I said…that can't be since she's a cat. I smiled at Sakura. She's a very interesting cat.

* * *

**Yumi**

Amane-chan gave me a cat, her name was Sakura. She was so cute! She reminded me of Sakuno. But Sakuno-chan isn't here. Did she get sick or maybe…she was abducted by aliens!

Oh and now that I remember Sakuno-chan, she asked a weird question yesterday. I think it was something about why we play tennis. Actually, I played tennis after following Amane-chan.

_~Flashback~_

I met Amane-chan when we were in middle school. We became friends though she was really shy and I was more outgoing. I decided to be her friend since she looked so lonely and I noticed that the other girls were jealous of Amane's attention.

Guys always swarmed around her like bees looking for some honey. Amane was always quiet and shy and I noticed that another girl named Yamada Natsume would always defend her. She had a mean look in her eyes. The whole class (except me and Amane-chan) was afraid of her.

I started to hang out with them and noticed that Amane was really kind and Natsume was like her protector. They've known each other since they were kids. They were apparently next door neighbors and Natsume would always defend Amane from the bullies.

"Err…Yumi-san, I think I'll go to Seigaku high." Amane-chan blushed when she said that. I knew she was thinking about a special someone.

"Amane-chan, you wouldn't be thinking of a special someone attending in that school, hmm?" I teased. It was always fun watching Amane-chan getting all flustered.

"E-Eh, n-no, I-I just w-wanted to go there s-since Sakamoto is going t-too." She blushed some more.

I teased her again. I knew she was after someone. I would go to Seigaku high too since I wanted to see the person who captured Amane's heart. I wanted him to be a good guy since I was worried about Amane-chan too. She was like a sister to me. She always took care of me just like Sora-chan did when we were little.

But when I went there, I followed Amane-chan secretly. She met the captain, Momoko Katou. They were having a conversation and I guessed that Katou was probably dressed up as a guy since she was pretty tomboyish. When Amane-chan heard that her crush was Katou, the girl in front of her, she fainted.

I think Katou destroyed Amane-chan's first love. At first, I felt a little mad at Katou since she did mess up with Amane-chan but then she didn't know and Amane-chan forgot about it and accepted Katou. She then joined in on the tennis team. I was a bit worried about Amane-chan so I followed her as well, to make sure if she falls in love again that it won't be one-sided.

_~End of Flashback~_

I didn't notice that I was talking to the cat. She seriously was a lot like Sakuno-chan but then again Sakuno-chan and Sakura are special since they made me seriously think about something and I haven't done that in a long time.

* * *

**Natsume**

Yumi gave me a cat for some reason. Its name was Sakura. She told me to give it to Sakuno-chan but seriously, she isn't even here and I don't know where she lives.

"Nyaa." Sakura was trying to gain my attention. She looked a lot like Sakuno-chan considering her fur and eye color.

Then I remembered Sakuno-chan's question. She asked why we played tennis. I would say I started to play tennis because of Amane and Yumi. They are my best friends.

_~Flashback~_

"Shut the F*ck up." I punched a guy. He was really pissing me off. I was the kind of a rebellion before I met Amane. I got into a huge fight and there was a lot of blood. Someone had hit a pole to my head as I walked home. I obviously won the battle but I didn't know exactly how many people were there.

When I woke up, I saw a girl with Black hair and endlessly black eyes. She was looking at me with a worried face and she held on to an iris. She gave it to me.

"Are you okay?" She was crying. No one cries for me, not even my parents. Then a girl like this comes along and starts to take care of me. It wasn't long till I began to like this girl.

I found out later that we lived next to each other. She always watched me from afar, too shy to talk to me. I then began defending her from bullies. She was so delicate and fragile but that was the only thing I could do. I couldn't handle any of her tears and I don't know how to cheer people up.

Then this girl named Nakashima Yumi came along. I was amazed at how she could make Amane smiled and laugh. Amane seemed very happy with her around then I began to think I wasn't needed anymore so I went back into the gang business.

No one would come for me and no one would cry for me whenever I got hurt.

I got into another fight, bloodier than the last one. After I was done, my clothes were stained in blood yet it felt like déjà vu because I got hit in the head one more time.

--

I woke up in the hospital again. Instead of seeing one person (or no one as I thought there would) I saw two figures. They were Nakashima Yumi and Miharu Amane. They came. They gave me more flowers. I cried right in front of them because they never abandoned me in the first place. That would also be my last time since I made a promise to be strong and protect the two.

They were after all my good friends.

_~End of Flashback~_

Sakura and laid her paw on my cheek. I told her about why I played tennis and she noticed that I let out a couple of tears. I never told Amane or Yumi about it. This cat is different…in a good way.

* * *

**Airi**

Natsume gave me a cat named Sakura. She was a cute little thing but I had to give it to Sakuno-chan but that would be impossible since she wasn't at school today. Wondered why she disappeared.

I looked at the cat, it was peculiar since she reminded me of Sakuno-chan.

"Nyaa." She meowed, looking a bit happy and worried about something.

"Nyaa?" It was like the cat was asking me a question. She reminded me of the way Sakuno-chan asks us a question about why we played tennis. That would be easy sine I did it to follow my sister.

_~Flashback~_

I was just a kid and my sister was very annoying to me at the time. She would take my stuff animals without permission and apologize with a smile on her face. I hated that since I wanted her to at least feel sorry. She was also useless in everything.

She could burn the house down whenever she cooked, she could break every vase in a room just by touching only one, and she would always cause accidents. The government considered her a dangerous threat but my parent said they would keep her in control.

I didn't think it was possible. Then one day I cracked at her. She had broken my favorite music box. Of course it was b accident but I thought she did it on purpose.

"You…I hate you! You always mess everything up! I wish you weren't my sister!" I yelled at her and ran into my room, not caring if she was affected because I thought that she would smile and apologize.

After a few hours, Yumi went missing. She wasn't anywhere in the house. 'Did I drive her away?' I thought. I never wanted her to leave.

The police got involved and search everywhere for her. They didn't find her and the next day, Yumi came back. She was at the front door, lying on the ground while holding on to something. Mom gave it to me because it had a note saying

_To: Airi_

_I'm sorry._

_Yumi_

I opened it to fins a new music box, the same one. The police came back and retraced her steps. They said that she worked at a restaurant and asked them to hide her. After she got her pay check, she rushed to the store and bought the music box then she ran all the way home without stopping.

When she was sleeping on that bed I cried. "I'm sorry." I said, tears filling my eyes.

I would follow my sister wherever she goes because I want to take back those words.

_~End of Flashback~_

Sakura began to cry as well. She reminded me a lot of Sakuno-chan because of her chocolate brown eyes. This cat isn't like any other and it makes me wonder if this cat helped out everyone else too.

* * *

**Usio**

Airi gave me a cat. Her name was Sakura. I think the cat went through man other people since it was so calm. I wonder what happened. Airi seemed so happy and light then she gave it to me like it was some sort of magic waiting to happen.

"Nyaa." Sakura smiled at me. She reminds me of Sakuno-chan. The fur and eye color are alike, too much alike. I wonder if Sakamoto had something to do with this since she was out looking for something just when Sakuno-chan isn't here and this cat shows up.

Her drinks probably caused something after all this is Sakamoto, the famous genius.

"Nyaa." She purred at me. I stared at the cat because it was like she expected me to say something. I wonder if the others told the cat something. I bet it has something to do with why they play tennis. I saw Airi, Natsume, and Yumi talking to this cat. I didn't hear anything but I knew that they were telling her something.

Maybe I should tell her too since she is a cat and it's impossible for Sakamoto to change humans into cats. Even if she did then wouldn't she find a cure?

I started to talk to the cat, wondering if I was going crazy or maybe just wanted someone to listen since I was always the listener.

_~Flashback~_

I was always a wanderer, never coming close to people. Not searching for anything or anyone. There is no point since getting too close to someone will hurt you the most. I barley remember names and I stay away from people. People are boring.

Though there was one girl who didn't give up when she said she wanted to become my friend. I thought she was stupid. There was nothing special about me and I was considered boring by the boring people around me.

This girl named Nakashima Airi would always stay by my side, asking questions. At first they were harmless questions like what are your favorite foods, favorite colors, favorite CDs, and such. Then she would ask about my family.

I grew to like this girl named Nakashima Airi. I hadn't even planned on being her friend. But I have this warm, nice feeling when I'm around her. I wonder if I've gone crazy. My teacher told me that I was happy though I don't know why.

Airi and I grew up together, telling everything about ourselves, no secrets, no lies, and we would always be friends. I never got into fights with her. Airi was always a good person. I started to develop feelings for Airi but not the kind where all those sickening couples come in.

I had already decided that I would never fall in love, too risky. I would always stand by Airi's side since she didn't abandon me when I followed so instead of wandering like I used to, I followed Airi. I promised that I would be by her side, even id she betrayed me like my father did.

_~End of Flashback~_

The cat looked at me sympathetically. I was always a listener, listening to other people's problems even if I didn't want to but this cat listened to me for once. Now I know why this cat is special.

* * *

Sakuno miraculously wandered back into her house. She just heard a lot of stories that answered her question all in one day and all it took was for her to turn into a cat and start at the beginning. She wondered about her sempais. They all started because of someone but then they began to love tennis so much that they became a group of family friends.

Sakuno wondered when she would turn back. Little did she know that Sakamoto's experimental juice lasted until midnight so when she woke up, she would be the same old Sakuno that everyone has come to love.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	13. The Exciting Kanto Tournaments

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

The whole gang was excited. Now why is that? It's because the Kanto tournaments are finally here and Sakuno is taking part. She was excited about winning. She wanted to be one step closer to Ryoma.

The matches were a piece of cake. The girls did have fun but none of the girls were actually challenging enough for them even Sakuno thought they were a bit weak. Seigaku wiped out the opponents but now that they were in the finals, things got more heated up.

"Alright everyone, this is the finals. After this last match we will go to nationals!" Katou showed the excitement in her voice.

"Listen up, the line up is: Natsume and Usio in doubles 2, Amane and Yumi in doubles 1, Sakuno-chan in singles 3, Emi in singles 2, and Katou in singles 1." Sakamoto announced.

"You expect me to play with her?" Natsume pointed at Usio. "I'm a singles player." She complained.

"And fortunately for me, I'm a singles player too but I have to play with an idiot." Usio glared at Natsume.

Sakuno was a bit shocked at Usio's behavior. She always knew Usio as the calm, emotionless upperclassman but when she was in front of Natsume, it looked a lot like Kaido and Momo fighting.

The whole team walked towards their next match. Unfortunately for them, they had to listen to Usio's and Natsume's constant bickering. Some of them were irritated, others tried to stop it, and some were just like in a 'who cares' kind of mood.

"S-Sakamoto-sempai, why do Natsume and Usio fight?" Sakuno asked, a bit worriedly.

"Easy, Natsume accidentally messed up Usio's sketches but Usio didn't have any reaction. Then Usio ripped a pair of pants that Natsume needed for her clothing shop also by accident. Natsume got mad at Usio and they supposedly hated each other ever since…but I don't buy it." Sakamoto explained.

"Natsume-sempai owns a clothing shop?" Sakuno asked.

"Hmm, Natsume's shop is called the Yamada Rack, have you heard of it?" Sakamoto asked.

"Well, yeah, I go there sometimes because some of the clothes are really cute." Sakuno smiled.

"I see…" Sakamoto remained silent after that.

Sakuno wondered what Sakamoto meant by 'not buying it'. Was there something more to their hatred or something? Sakuno didn't have the chance to think about it when Usio and Natsume stepped into the courts. Their atmosphere changed completely. Natsume and Usio looked like two harmonious lions waiting to pounce on their unlucky prey.

"D-Do they always do that?" Sakuno asked. She was a bit shocked about the sudden change.

"Yeah, it's like they have a wavelength when they play on the court." Sakamoto explained.

Sakuno felt that there was something more to it than that. On the court, they might as well look like two good competitive girls playing with their opponents in determination to win. Yet, Sakuno still couldn't exactly pinpoint the strange feeling she was getting. It was like she felt that they were relatives but that didn't seem possible since Usio had blue hair and violet eyes while Natsume had wild red hair and golden eyes.

"This is the best of a one set match, Yamada to serve." The umpire stated.

Natsume was standing near the baseline, letting the ball drop and bounce back up to her for a couple of times. She then stared straight at the eyes of her opponents. They could've sworn Natsume was glaring at them but the regulars knew better. Natsume's eyes are like a hawk's: deadly yet swift and silent.

Natsume served, knowing that her opponents were frozen in shock. The first ball went right past them, an ace. Natsume went to serve again but her opponents only slightly recovered from their shock so they didn't react until 5 seconds after the ball was hit.

Luckily for Usio and Natsume, they still didn't return the ball which means they landed another ace. "Sakamoto-sempai, Natsume-sempai really messed them up. They didn't move until a couple of seconds after Natsume-sempai's second shot." Sakuno pointed out.

"Yeah, there were rumors spreading around saying that Natsume was a former Yankee and she was most famous for her paralyzing glare." Sakamoto said, reading it right off from her notebook.

Sakuno nodded her head. She was suddenly used to most of her upperclassmen's craziness but unfortunately not all the time. Sakuno observed the match as it progressed on.

They looked like they were sweating a bit but no special moves were used. Sakuno wondered if she would be able to compete with her upperclassmen. She knows she had been training a lot but she never saw her upperclassmen actually go all out. Sakuno was curious about them. They were all so different and tennis was the only thing that connected the dots all together to form a unique picture.

"Game and match won by Yamada/Kumiko pair, 6 games to 2." The umpire announced.

Sakuno remembered her match with Katou. Sakuno knew that she couldn't measure herself to any of them. She wondered how she even beat those top 3 non-regulars. Maybe it was a fluke, a one time lucky streak.

"This is the best of a one set match, Miharu to serve." The umpire stated.

Amane nodded and began her serve. It was swift and to the point. Sakuno once again observed the match. She knew that her team would win again and even if she lost it wouldn't matter because the next one after her would definitely win. They would advance even without Sakuno's win. That is what she thought as the match before her started.

'_What am I here for then?'_ she asked herself. Flashbacks of Sakuno's match with Katou came rushing through her head, playing themselves over and over again. Then Sakuno remembered the metro tournaments. She remembered how she'd lost yet they won so what's her point in being there.

'_Katou-sempai didn't accept me. That's why she calls me Sakuno-chan instead of just Sakuno like she does with everyone else's names…'_ Sakuno felt left out.

"Sakuno, wake up. It's your turn next." Katou placed her hand on top of Sakuno's head. Sakuno was broken form her trance. She didn't know that the match was over so quickly but what shocked her more was the fact that Katou just said her name without a suffix. Did she trust her?

Sakuno went to the court. She was thinking that she might lose, thinking that it wouldn't matter, and thinking that she wasn't apart of the gang. But she was wrong because she could see the excitement and happiness radiating from their faces. Sakuno thought they wanted her to win.

Sakuno looked at the girls and served the ball, smiling.

--

"WHAT!??" Tomoka screamed in Sakuno's ear. "What do you mean you lost!?" Tomoka screamed again.

"L-Like I said, we still won and we'll be going to the nationals Tomo-chan. Just because I lost doesn't mean that the other sempais did. And besides, it was really close. The score was 6 games to 4." Sakuno assured her best friend.

"Seriously, you need to get better. Practice over the summer okay? If you don't, then get tutor lessons from Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka squealed at the mention of the young prince's name.

"Err, Tomo-chan, I have to go. Grandma is calling me for dinner!" Sakuno said eagerly. She then hung up the phone and sighed.

"Mou, I have two problems I need to fix." Sakuno cried miserably. She knew her two problems. One was to get better at tennis. The second was to somehow get Ryoma's attention on her other than a good friend. Too bad that was a long way to go.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	14. Summer starts: Emi

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

The trees were gently swaying to one side as the wind sang its tune through the trees' leaves. Birds were chirping happily in the sun and the burning sun rays would heat up each of the classrooms from Seigaku high school. They knew that it was summer and in just a few more minutes, there would be summer break.

Each of the students didn't pay much attention to the teacher. They were all too bus looking at the clock tick away, waiting for that last second for school to end. Their energy was pent up and locked away. Just a few more seconds before the bell rings and then happy summer starts!

"Remember, testing will start up once you come back so _study_ hard." The teacher emphasized with a forced smile on her face. The class was paying no attention to her and she was not a happy woman when that happens.

**RING!**

The students flung their papers in the air. Papers were fluttering down or flying out the window. Many of the teenagers were shouting "SUMMER! Yes, hell is over and heavenly summer is here!"

Many of the girls from the regular tennis team had their own plans for the summer but let's start with our little bookworm, Fujimoto Emi.

After school, Emi would be found in the library. She loves to read books especially ones about forbidden love between a prince and maid or something related. Emi would be found on a secluded section of the library. She would have at least 3 tall stacks of books on her table, waiting to be read.

She had already finished her 1st book, the one about a prince who has to search for his suitable wife before a deadline. She thought it was a cliché but the more she read into it, the more it seemed not to typical. She was too engrossed with her book to notice two of her classmates hovering over her, waiting.

The girls had obvious smirks on their faces. They were waiting to do something to Emi and it wasn't anything nice.

"Hello Fujimoto." Bully #1 greeted with a friendly smile.

"What 'cha reading there, Fujimoto?" Bully #2 mimicked the way Bully #1 smiled.

Emi didn't pay attention. She was too immersed with her book to even notice their existence. But the girls were not satisfied one bit. Bullies want their victims to know of their existence no matter how much it was worth to the helpless victim. Bullies control their victims by hurting them physically and making sure they are afraid of them.

Bully #1 took Emi's book and smiled. "You're such a bookworm. A normal girl would go to YouTube and watch movies from there." She said.

"I want my book." Emi stated, taking her book back. Emi ignored them again. She didn't want to get mixed up with them any longer and they were messing up her summer. She was going to check out some books in the library, go buy the new T-Chat that was all the rage nowadays (T-Chat is invented b Sakamoto by the way), and then she would go home.

"You b!tch." Bully #1 shoved Emi from her chair. Emi fell hard on the floor. She landed on her right shoulder which caused a huge and painful impact. As Emi got up, she could feel a huge stab of pain on her right shoulder.

"What's going on here?" the two bullies and Emi turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. Emi couldn't believe who it was.

"Shusuke-sama," The bullies tool two steps back.

"Are you alright?" Fuji brushed past them and showed some concern for Emi.

The two bullies, who were obviously jealous, were both Fuji fans. They couldn't forgive Emi for gaining any attention at all from the genius.

"She started it." Bully #1 accused. "Yeah, she started to call us names and tried to hit us then she said to stay away from you Shusuke-sama." Bully #2 agreed. The smirked behind Fuji's back. They were confident that two against one would be better.

"That's impossible," Emi said, gaining strength.

"Hah, how would Shusuke-sama know? You're obviously lying." Bully #2 almost growled.

"Like I said before, it's impossible. I'm the only one hurt and you also have no proof that I said anything and even if you had each other, you two are friends so you would automatically agree with the other." Emi said.

"But you tried to hit us!"

"Where did I hit you?" Emi asked.

"Err…on my stomach and for her, on the left cheek." Bully #2 said.

"Shouldn't you be rubbing your stomach and why isn't her cheek even the slightest bit red? Also, I was the only one on the ground." Emi said.

"You hurt your shoulder because you fell by yourself." Bully #1 cleverly said.

"That's true but me falling by myself would create a strong enough impact for my shoulder to hurt so much which means someone pushed me." Emi countered.

"So, you can't prove that we pushed you or that your arm is hurt really badly." One of them said.

Emi smiled. "Then…how did you know my arm was hurt, even that badly, when I didn't say anything until after I proved something wrong in your theory of me hitting you?" Emi said. The girls paled. They were sloppy and they let Emi prove that they were wrong with one witness there who now knew the truth.

"I'll take Fujimoto-san to the infirmary. You two should run on home." Fuji still had his smile but a dark and menacing aura was around him, scaring the girls off.

Emi noticed this and wondered why he helped her out. "Um…Fuji-san, I can go to the infirmary by myself. And there was no need to help me at all." Emi said, walking away while placing her left hand on her shoulder to try to rub the pain away.

Fuji walked up to her to stop her. "I'll go with you; those girls might try to hurt you again." Fuji smiled again. Emi nervously smiled. _'I think they'll want to kill me if you do.'_ She wanted to say that but she didn't mind him walking next to her at all.

They walked in silence for a couple if minutes. Emi slowly averted her gaze to Fuji. She noticed that he had feminine yet very manly features. His light brown hair that looked so soft, his beautiful pale skin, his tall yet lean outline of his body, and his wonderful voice she strangely liked listening too. She was absolutely absorbed in staring at Fuji's smiling face.

Emi could feel her heart beat faster and her breath got shallower. He was like the prince from her story books yet this was a real person not some random prince from some random story.

"You're staring at me." Fuji chuckled at Emi's happy yet dazed look. Emi, suddenly feeling self-conscious, blushed a cherry red color.

"I-I was not." She stuttered and walked ahead. Fuji chuckled some more and caught up to her easily.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have made fun of you." Fuji smiled.

"Are you really?" She pouted cutely. Fuji chuckled some more at Emi's changing reactions.

When they finally reached the infirmary, the nurse checked Emi's arm and said that she should be fine in two days of taking it easy. Emi was happy that she didn't have to do some large amount of time like a month then her precious summer vacation would be ruined.

"I'll walk home with you." Fuji offered. Emi nodded, thinking that he was a gentleman right now. Emi restrained herself from looking at Fuji; she definitely did not want him to mark her as one of his fan girls which was very horrible in Emi's opinion.

When they finally reached Emi's apartment, Fuji still followed her. She wondered why he kept following her even when they got inside. After a couple of minutes, they reached to Emi's room but Fuji was still there.

"…Um Fuji-san, you can go home now." She said. Fuji smiled but then it didn't really count because he always smiles, right?

"Alright," He walked to the door right next to Emi's and opened it with his key. Emi's jaw dropped. Fuji chuckled at her reaction.

"It seems as though we're neighbors." Fuji chuckled again at her reaction, Emi was just too amusing in his point of view.

"B-But, I just moved here a little before the beginning of school year." Emi said as she gained her composure back.

"Saa, I was here before you then because someone moved near me a couple of days after I did. I didn't think it was you." Fuji said. "Good night," he added, closing the door behind him as he entered his apartment.

"Neighbors?" Emi was too shocked too move. She opened her mouth. "Humna humna humna humna…" she repeated over and over again.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	15. Summer starts: Airi

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Near the Nakashima live museum is where many kids have come for a field trip. There was one kid who brought his older brother to the field trip because he knew that his brother loves animals a lot even though he never shows it in public.

"Big brother, we're going inside." Hazue said. His older brother nodded and followed the younger lad.

They both entered along with the rest of the class. The museum was quite fascinating considering that the animals aren't stuffed but alive. Some parts of the museum also stated that you can actually play with the animals.

"Don't stray off. Now we're going to be guiding by Miss Nakashima." The teacher smiled at the girl next to her. Kaido immediately recognized that dark brown hair and familiar deep green eyes. It was his classmate Nakashima Airi.

She smiled at all the little kids and they seemed to have taken a strong liking to her. Hazue looked at the kind girl and then he blushed. He might have some sparks for this girl named Airi but then he also noticed his older brother, Kaido, avoiding her and he was blushing as well.

"Big brother, do you know that lady?" Hazue asked. Kaido couldn't lie to his brother after all unlike some people in his school (mainly Momo) Hazue was the only one who got along with him but he didn't really count since he was family.

"She's a classmate of mine." He told his little brother.

"Then are you dating her? Have you guys kissed yet? Do you date with her in places that involve animals?" Hazue rushed a million questions on his older brother.

Airi noticed Kaido and his younger brother talking. As soon as she recognized that it was Kaido from her class (and the one she played against) she walked over to his side but greeted his brother first since this was his fieldtrip.

"Hello, you brought your father along?" Airi wanted to see Kaido's reaction. Airi had always wondered if Kaido was really the same age as herself but how could she be sure if she never saw his birth certificate?

"Hah, this is my big brother Koaru." Hazue grinned.

"Haha, I know. I was just teasing since Kaido-san looks like he's 18 and up." She smiled at Hazue and Kaido. Kaido blushed and looked away. Usually girls would be afraid of him.

Hazue noticed his older brother's blush. He wondered if he had a fever but then he focused his attention to Airi, his first crush. She was so nice and kind. He also liked her smiles.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Hazue bluntly asked. He wanted to know his competition.

"Eh, n-no I don't have a boyfriend." Airi laughed nervously. She never thought a kid would ask her such a question.

"Then do you have anyone you like?" he asked. Airi paused.

"…That's a personal question, I'll tell you the answer when you're older and can understand it better." She blushed. She was lucky she got out of that one.

"Alright, enough talk. Miss Nakashima, will you please lead us through the museum?" the teacher asked.

Airi smiled. "I'd love too, sensei." Airi started walking to the nearest and safest exhibit where the turtles were located.

As the students entered the room they thought that they were in an aquarium because of all the glass and water. They each had a clear view of the turtles. They had a clear view of different types of turtles. Each turtle was very unique and beautiful in its own way.

"Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines (the crown group of the super order Chelonia), most of whose body is shielded by a special cartilaginous (bony) shell developed from their ribs. "Turtle" may either refer to the Testudines as a whole, or to particular Testudines which make up a form taxon that is not monophyletic. The order Testudines includes both living and extinct species. The earliest known turtles date from 215 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards and snakes. About 300 species are alive today. Like other reptiles, turtles are ectotherms—varying their internal temperature according to the ambient environment, commonly called cold-blooded. Like other amniotes (reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals), they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water." Airi explained as she pointed to each of the turtles, telling little facts about each.

Kaido was amazed at her knowledge of just one animal. He wondered just how much she knew about the animals in the whole museum. Even Kaido's brother started to like Airi even more.

"Airi-chan, can I take a turtle home?" Hazue asked, eyes shining in happiness.

"Well, there are baby turtles in the gift shop but you need to ask your brother's permission before taking one." Airi said.

"Big brother, can I have one? Please, please, pretty please?" Hazue asked. Kaido sighed.

"I'll have to tell our parents about them…" He said.

"Yay! Airi-chan, get me a turtle as pretty as you are!" Hazue smiled at Airi. He even hugged her. Airi smiled, not even knowing that the little guy liked her.

Kaido was a bit shock since he never saw his brother hanging out with any of his friends. He always remembered when he was a kid just by looking at his younger brother and wondered if he'd be like his dad when he grew older.

"Here," Airi smiled and gave Kaido the little turtle. "Animals seem to like you a lot so the turtle might be happy when you're holding on to it." Airi smiled warmly at Kaido. Kaido blushed heavily and looked away.

"Yeah…" he stammered and walked away. Airi was wondering if she had said something wrong.

Hazue, being he kid he was, watched the little scene. Just because he was a kid doesn't mean he was stupid. Hazue figured out that Kaido may like Airi and not even know it.

"Big brother, I want a group hug with me, you, Airi-chan, and my new friend, Mr. Turtle." Hazue grinned. He was going to test something out. Kaido nodded, slightly blushing. He stood farther away from Airi, more like near Hazue.

Hazue grinned. He slipped past his brother and pushed him closer to Airi. Since they were near a wall, it seemed as though Kaido might be seducing Airi but they were just really close.

'_Nakashima-san…is so small…'_ he thought. Airi was shorter and less strong than Kaido was. She looked so frail and cute. Kaido stared at her lips for a moment. They looked so soft so kissable so…tempting. Kaido snapped out of it in time to feel self-conscious. Airi also was feeling a bit self-conscious herself.

"Sorry," Kaido said in his deep voice. He backed away and then bowed so he could give Airi her space and apologize properly. She blushed. She got to see Kaido up front and personal. She could still feel the tingling sensations in her stomach when they were close to each other and when she could feel his warm breath…

'_You damn perverted mind! I knew Yumi's weird perverted manga would get to me someday so why didn't I stop when I still had my purity!? Wait…how much more manga does she have…she did say something about getting a mature manga and trying to teach Katou something…Oh god, I know what Yumi is going to do when we go back to school!'_ Airi was slightly horrified at what Yumi would do since Yumi is practically very clumsy.

"Nakashima, are you alright…sorry…" Kaido didn't know what to do. Airi had such a focused and serious look on her face. He wondered if she was really mad at him.

Airi got back into the present. She blushed and shook her head. "N-No, I'm fine. Are you hurt Kaido-san? Someone might have pushed you." Airi said. Kaido shook his head.

Hazue was near the two watching them with his sharp eyes. _'Big brother likes Airi-chan…' _he thought._ 'Well I guess it can't be helped since Airi-chan is an angel from the animal kingdom from the sky and big brother is a king, ruling over the animals here on earth.' _Hazue thought and smiled.

'_But I won't give up.'_ He grinned and hugged Airi, rubbing his face to her chest.

"I love Airi-chan!" He said out loud. Kaido glared at his brother, something that he never did before to his family members.

"Airi-chan and I will get married right?" Hazue grinned again causing his brother to get angrier.

"E-Eh, but you're way too young and besides, aren't there any other girls you might like?" Airi asked. Kaido mentally nodded. Hazue shook his head.

"Nope Airi-chan is the only one for me. Besides I have some competition." Hazue grinned at his older brother, Kaido. Kaido was half sulking and half mad at himself for being so jealous of his brother, his _**younger**_ brother.

'_Why am I so angry?_' he asked himself. He felt a small hand touch his shoulder. Kaido was in a foul mood so he glared at the unfortunate victim. It was Airi.

Kaido felt like self destructing because he just glared at Airi. Airi didn't even notice. "Here you go Kaido-san." She smiled and handed him a lunch box. Kaido just remembered that he forgot to bring his and was starving.

"Thank you…" He blushed and took the meal. The day wasn't so bad after all.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hazue is not an OC; he is actually Kaido's younger brother. I think it shows in one of the episodes but I'm not sure. Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	16. Summer Starts: Amane

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Millions of flowers could be seen in the park but only one spot was a garden. Many couples go there to relax and even confess their love to their crush. Amane, however, goes to this wonderful garden full of multi-colored flowers o take care of them.

Yes, Amane applied to be a garden caretaker when the old man retired though the old timer still visits the same spot with his granddaughter and tells stories about many things, mainly the romance of his wife and himself.

"Amane deary, how are you?" The old timer smiled as he came walking along the pathway with his granddaughter.

"Hello, I'm fine. Now what story are you going to talk about today?" Amane asked excitedly. She always thought that his stories were fascinating and wonderful. The old timer would usually talk about his days with his wife, mainly about them dating in this specific garden.

"We came here all the time and even when I retired from my main job, I still had the strength to come here early in the morning everyday it was because I wanted to meet my wonderful Lenore." The old man's eyes were shining in happiness.

Amane did a small sad smile. She knew that the old timer's wife was dead and the least she could do was keep his happy memories of his wife alive by listening to his stories.

"Um…I'm sorry but you never told me how you two first met or how you asked her out." Amane said, suddenly remembering.

"Ah, I could never forget that moment. Listen up Amane and Yuki." The old timer sat down comfortably on a wooden bench near patches of sunflowers.

"It was on this very spot that I met Lenore. She was a kind woman. Her soul would defiantly be a pure white color. I started working here when I was just a teen. She was sleeping here on this bench with a peaceful look on her beautiful face…" the old timer began.

_~Flashback~_

A young man was gazing admiringly at the flowers. He loved how each flower was so different yet they all were very beautiful. He loved his job even though it paid him little but this job was special since this is where a couple came together.

The young man then moved on to the next patch of flowers which were sunflowers near the new wooden bench. He always thought that sunflowers were best since they are strong and they stand tall. Then that's were he saw a girl sleeping soundly.

He had never seen anyone sleep so happily especially a girl. The young man blushed at her beauty. She was slender and had black hair. She was so breathtaking. Her small frame and happy face was at peace and nothing could disturb her moment near the flowers that surrounded her especially since her guardians were the strong sunflowers. The man gazed at her, completely mesmerized. The girl woke up and opened her eyes to see a young man looking at her. She smiled at the young man.

"U-Um, h-hello." She blushed as she stuttered. She had a shy personality.

"I…um…hello!" he said eagerly. He took her hand and tried to do a handshake. "My name is Gin. Please, would you do me the honor of telling me your name, miss?" The lad was blushing too hard. The woman stared at the man and giggled.

"You don't have to be so tense. My name is Lenore. Hello, Gin-san." She smiled and the young man's heart melted. He had never felt so happy other then the first time he saw flowers when he was just a boy but this feeling was more intensified.

"Beautiful smile…" he murmured. He also noticed that she had two deep sets of soft charcoal colored eyes.

"Did you say something, Gin-san?" She asked innocently.

"N-No, I'm just really excited to meet you!" he blushed heavily.

--

They had talked to each other at the same park and quickly became close friends. Gin was really happy to have met Lenore but he wanted to tell her his feelings and he was going to do it today. He believed that he was ready.

'_Calm down, just casually ask her to be your girlfriend…'_ Gin blushed.

"Hello Gin-kun." The voice he always knew made his heart melt. His legs were like jellyfish, squishy and soft.

"Um, why'd you call me here Gin-kun?" She asked with an innocent face still on.

Gin straightened up. "Lenore, will you be my…!"

_~End of flashback~_

"Whoa, what happened next? Did you get rejected? Was your love fulfilled? Did you ask her to marry you!?" the granddaughter, Yuki, asked but the old timer was snoring, it seems as though he fell asleep at his own story. Both Amane and Yuki sweat dropped at his weird action but still moved on.

"Aw, it was such a good story too. I'm pretty sure he confessed and she said yes." Amane said, trying to cheer Yuki up for the lack of an ending for her grandfather's story.

Amane smiled and walked over to the rose patch to water the flowers. She was too bus listening to the old timer's interesting story about an innocent love with his wife here at the same park. She smiled knowing that this garden can bring happiness of any kind.

She picked up her water carrier so she could water the roses obviously. She walked with a smile on her face though she didn't really look where she was going because she bumped into someone.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." She bowed.

"No, it was my fault. I should be the one who's sorry." The boy bowed.

Then Amane realized something. She remembered that voice form her match against a red-haired lad and his green eyed friend. She looked up to confirm it and realized that the person was Oishi.

"O-Oishi-san, w-why are you h-here?" She stuttered. It was strange. She stuttered more when he was around. She knew she would usually stutter once or twice at a stranger and many times more when she was nervous but why would she be nervous in front of her classmate?

"I come here to see this garden. It really is well taken care of." Oishi smiled. Amane blushed and her heart sped up.

"I-I see…" Amane looked at her suddenly interesting sandals.

"Big sis, are you flirting with our boyfriend?" Yuki popped out of no where.

Both Amane and Oishi blushed a deep red color. "N-No, h-he's m-my c-classmate." She stuttered ever word.

"Aw, so dry." Yuki mumbled as she went back to her grandfather's side.

Amane lightly laughed. "She's just a bit energetic because she's a bit bored." Amane smiled warmly at Oishi.

"Y-Yeah." Oishi blushed. He had never seen Amane smile like that. She looked like a pure angel especially when there are real flowers in the background.

The old timer who was sitting at the same wooden bench nearby smiled. "Another Gin and Lenore is born."

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	17. Summer Starts: Yumi

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

One girl just couldn't contain herself at home. She was too energetic and excited for that. She is a manga lover so when a contest was going on for an original story of the famous "Jason: The Blood-Stained Promise" is given out to the winner, she just couldn't resist.

She was a total manga fan and "Jason" was one of the first mangas she had ever read. That manga was full of mysteries involving a young man named Jason who was a detective. She heard that there were only 3 original copies made and no more. This is a chance of a lifetime. She had to get her hands on that original copy.

Yumi was all giddy and happy. She was waiting for the store to open so she can hunt for the manga. Each person is given a clue and each clue is different but they all lead to the same prize. When Yumi got her clue she opened the folded paper, wondering what was inside.

_**Delicious yet ice cold**_

_**Creamy yet a bit hard**_

_**I want some more, please**_

Yumi tried to decipher the note but she wasn't the brains in any plans because she always thought outside of the box. Yumi decided to give up already. She hated figuring out problems. Then she began to daydream like she always does.

'_Creamy, delicious, cold…woohoo ice cream!!'_ Yumi forgot about the contest and rushed to a nearby ice cream parlor.

"I'll have…one of everything please!" Yumi smiled at the waitress. The waitress's jaw dropped but she nodded anyway.

"C-Coming right up." She walked towards the counter and told the man. The man almost fainted.

After a few minutes, the waitress came back with a huge bowl of rainbow colored ice cream. Yumi's eyes shined in delight. Yumi's grabs her spoon and starts eating the ice cream. _'Delicious but cold, creamy but a bit hard, and I want more!'_ Yumi smiled.

"Yo lady, I want some more please!" Yumi smiled then paused.

'_OMG I forgot about my manga!'_ Yumi thought with a horrified look.

"Congratulations, you won the original manga "Jason: The Blood-Stained Promise"!" the waitress smiled as the confetti flew everywhere in the ice cream parlor.

"Zaa?" Yumi was stupefied.

"Your clue remember?" the waitress said, gabbing Yumi's clue paper that was in her left hand.

"Delicious yet ice cold, creamy yet a bit hard, I want some more, please. That was your clue. The person who said 'I want some more please' after they ordered ice cream already is the winner." The waitress explained again.

"Zaa?" Yumi couldn't believe her dumb luck. At least it got her the original manga that she wanted.

"Nyaa, I really wanted that manga too." One familiar voice complained.

Yumi turned around to see a red head. She remembered him from the match she had with him maybe two weeks ago. She rushed over to his side on instinct, it happens when she knows someone even if he or she is an acquaintance.

"You're that dude that was with that other dude with a strange haircut!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Nyaa, it's you! And no! Oishi's haircut might be a little weird but it's not strange!" Eiji defended his friend/partner.

"Nice defense." Yumi snorted and laughed.

"Now you lost the original manga too." She smiled and made sure that the manga was within his reach but also to be able to be taken away easily.

"That's so mean, nyaa." Eiji fake cried. Yumi giggled.

"I'm just joking, how about we read it while enjoying our ice cream?" Yumi said.

"Yay, nyaa, you're so nice!" Eiji exclaimed. Yumi slightly sweat dropped because of Eiji's mood change.

They both sat down and enjoyed their ice cream. They talked a lot so they became instant buddies. Yumi figured out a lot of stuff about Eiji and the same goes for Eiji with Yumi.

"I still think Ichigo and Orihime have a thing for each other and Rukia is too uptight. I think Rukia likes Renji." Yumi said.

"No, it was Ichigo with Rukia and Orihime with Ishida." Eiji argued.

"Well, besides our differences in pairings, don't you think it was awesome when Ichigo obtained his vizard mask? Now that was such an awesome moment don't you think?" Yumi said excitedly.

"Nyaa, you're right!" Eiji agreed.

"I'm sorry to intrude but the ice cream parlor is about to close." The waitress said unhappily. She had a thing for Eiji when she got a closer look at him.

"Oh okay." Yumi said as she watched the waitress with her jealous glare. 'I guess Eiji-kun is popular…' Yumi thought.

"Yo Eiji-kun, got a girlfriend." Yumi grinned and elbowed Eiji on the stomach.

"Me? Sure I got tons of them!" Eiji smiled. 'But are you serious about them?' she angrily added.

"Oh, so you have a harem." Yumi said sarcastically. 'Why am I being mean?' she asked herself.

"Nyaa, I'm not serious though." Eiji replied. Yumi felt relieved that he wasn't serious.

'_Damn it! This is not a shojo manga where I fall in love with Eiji just because we have lots in common!' _She cursed at herself.

"Yumi-chan, watch out!" Eiji was too late to say anything because Yumi had already hit the pole that was right in front of her.

"Owch! That hurt!" Yumi cried out loud before getting up.

"Nyaa, you got a bump on your head! Are you dying Yumi-chan!? How many fingers am I holding up!?" Eiji panicked. Yumi thought of this as a wonderful opportunity to tease.

"Yo, big bro, how was your day? And you're holding up 20 fingers hehe." Yumi acted all tipsy and fell of the ground lightly.

"Nyaa, Yumi-chan is dying!" Eiji exclaimed. Yumi laughed out loud.

"Oh my god…haha…HA HA…" Yumi continued to laugh out loud.

"Yumi-chan!? You're alive!?" Eiji calmed down a bit though he looked more shocked.

"Haha, you should have seen your face haha." Yumi kept on laughing.

"Nyaa, don't mess with me like that. I actually thought you might have died." Eiji pouted.

"It's your own damn fault for believing it." She grinned. Eiji continued to pout. Yumi giggled and gave Eiji a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, to the arcade!" Yumi exclaimed, leaving the blushing Eiji dumbfounded on the street.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	18. Summer Starts: Usio

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

A perfectly polished floor is needed in one of the great ice skating rinks. One person is practicing in there, all alone but not entirely. There was only one person who lost his way. He had violet colored eyes and spiky black hair. He saw the ice skater's performance and thought she was amazing though he couldn't know exactly who she was since her hair was in braids and she was also wearing glasses.

First the girl did a half flip, split jump, camel spin, and finally the well known figure eight. She did it like it was easy and thanks to her sharp skates scratching the once smooth floor, specks of ice flew up in the air, causing them to sparkle around her in dazzling colors.

Momo had never seen such an amazing performance. It was like watching a bird glide with drops of glowing light surrounding it. Yet something was off about the girl. She didn't smile, she didn't frown, and she had no expression. The girl was emotionless like a statue.

As Momo was staring at the talented girl, a coach walked up to him. "I see you've taken a liking to my pupil's performance." She lightly smiled.

"She's really great." Momo said.

"Yes, her skills are national level but she would always get third or second place." The coach replied.

"Why is that?" Momo asked.

"She lacks emotion as you can see. She wasn't always like that though. You see, her mother was a professional figure skater. She had talent, looks, charms, and the amazing skills but she died young of a chronic disease. My pupil was too young to remember her mother but inside, she knew something was missing and her father is such a bag of douche. He always came right in with another MAN because he turned gay after the death of her mother." The coach briefly explained the girl's situation.

"He…turned gay…?" Momo was speechless.

"Yeah, he came over to my house crying about it when he was drunk. He kept on saying that his deceased wife was the only one for him and other sappy stuff I don't want to get into. So I guess that's a bit of tragedy in her life. After all, she saw many normal families and wonders why she was different." The coach had a look of disgust on her face for the part about her father but it changed to sympathetic when it came to the girl.

The coach then shook her head and told Momo she had to leave. She waved good bye and set off.

The girl in the skating rink stopped skating. As soon as the girl stopped, she skated back to the cold yet secure floor. She then took off her skates and put her real shoes back on. She didn't notice the taller boy, Momo, standing next to her.

"You're good, really good." Momo smiled. The girl looked up at him and vaguely remembered him from somewhere.

"Who are you?" She asked bluntly.

"Momoshiro Takashi but you can just call me Momo-chan for short." Momo greeted.

"So…peach-chan, are you a girl or something?" She asked.

"No! I'm a guy and I can prove it but I can't show you since you're a girl and I don't have my birth certificate on me!" Momo argued.

"Oh, now I remember you, you were that guy…with that other guy…and the match…" Usio mumbled as she barley remembered her match with him.

"You know me?" Momo asked.

"I'm the girl that was playing against you with my friend, the one with green eyes and brown hair." Usio said plainly. Momo stared off into space, remembering the event.

He then remembered the dazzlingly beautiful girl that was emotionless. He remembered her light blue hair and striking ice colored eyes. No wonder she seemed a bit familiar to him. He couldn't exactly tell with her braids and glasses on.

"Are you going to stare at me all day?" She asked bluntly. Momo blushed. Now that he remembered about the strikingly beautiful girl, he could see it more clearly now.

"Why would I stare at you!?" Momo blushed with an angry face and then he sat down.

'_What a weirdo…but I guess he's not so bad…'_ Usio sat down next to him. Momo noticed a bag that was on the chair next to him.

"Can you pass me that bag?" She asked, almost politely. Momo gave it to her anyway.

Usio would take out her sketch book and start sketching. She would do a quick, rough sketch of a figure skater spinning in the air. Momo thought it was pretty good considering that it took her a small amount of time to do the good sketch.

"You're really good at drawing." He said. Usio smiled at him but it was empty.

"Drawing…is different…" She said, going back to her sketch.

Momo didn't expect that kind of answer. He had a hobby, it is tennis of course but this Usio girl was talented in tennis, drawing, and figure skating. Was she perfect? But then again, if she was so perfect in everything then why is she so aloof and hollow? Shouldn't she be happy and at least making an effort to smile.

"You're quiet." She stated quietly as she got back to drawing.

"How come you're always so…distant? Isn't there anything that can make you happy, mad, sad, or something?" Momo asked, curious about Usio.

"Happy? What is happiness? What is sadness? How can you determine the quality and quantity of each? What does happiness feel like? Is it really that great?" Usio asked.

Momo hadn't expected her to talk so much but then again she is a very unique girl. He also didn't expect her to say such in depth questions. Somewhere in Momo's heart, he just wants this girl to smile maybe because he's not used to seeing someone not smile or maybe it would just make her look better if she did. Regardless of what the reason was, Momo had a goal:

Make Usio feel emotion.

It didn't matter which one. Any of them would be fine as long as it proves that Usio's human and not a block of never melting ice.

"All the boys swoon over you like hungry hyenas locked up in a room with a single burger. I don't get why they do that since you're not attractive." Momo said. Usio's eye twitched in anger.

"For your information, I'm very attractive. You're probably gay." Usio rebuked.

"I'm not gay! I'm a healthy teenaged boy at the peak of his youth!" Momo immediately forgot his goal and continued to argue with Usio.

--

They argued until it was dark outside. Momo walked her home even though she clearly refused his offer. They walked while arguing the whole way.

As they were walking down the cold streets, the air seeming to feel a bit cold even though it was already summer.

"Like I said, strawberries are both healthier and tastier thank a double cheese burger with extra cheese, onion, and pickles." Usio said, walking ahead of Momo.

"No, hamburgers are the best!" Momo argued, catching up to her.

As they continued their senseless bickering, about 4 creepy, shady men walked over to them. One of them had a pole and hit Momo on the head but because Momo had a hard head, he only stumbled down and fell.

"What was that for!?" Momo asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Whatever, we just want the girl." One of them smirked.

"Why would you want her? She's unattractive." Momo automatically said.

"Open you eyes kid, this lady is perfect. So, lady, would you like to play around with us?" one of them smoothly said.

"I'd rather hang out with this harmless idiot than a bunch of imbeciles who think they can seduce a young maiden by attacking the idiot. And do you really think that you can take me on?" Usio mocked.

The leader of the group seemed to be affected b her mockery. You could see it in the way he twitched his eye and grit his teeth. His glare only further proved his annoyance at Usio. "I was going to take you quietly but I guess I'll have to be a little rough. Let's go." He commanded his boys.

Momo was a bit helpless at the moment since the bump on his head made him temporarily disabled in his legs so he couldn't move much less stand to defend Usio. Usio didn't seem to care.

The 4 guys were closing in and Momo tried to think fast but there was nothing he could throw, nothing he could do. The guys got in closer Usio bent down into a specific stance, a karate stance that is. She quickly kicked two the guys on the sensitive part from the back of the leg. They fell down, helpless because of their legs being temporally disabled.

Usio then tool one step to the right and jabbed one of the remaining guys puncture point in the neck. The guy stopped and fell down because he was paralyzed.

"T-This chick knows karate!" The leader watched Usio's emotionless face.

It scared the hell out of him, the face that was emotionless, unfeeling. The leader stared at her eyes and saw absolutely nothing. Out of fear, he chickened out and ran as fast as he could away from Usio.

Momo stared at her in disbelief, jaw dropping at the sight. "You know karate!??" He instinctively asked.

"Unlike you, other people don't think this face is unattractive and so I defend myself by learning karate." Usio said. "I also learned it to protect someone." She quietly added.

"Anyway, you should go home and get your head checked so you won't get any sort of disease…" Usio paused. "But you don't need to since your skull is really thick so your brain won't lose the tiny amount of cells it has left." She added with a small teasing smile.

"What do you mean by that!? My brain isn't that small and I have lots of brain cells!" Momo argued.

'_He's still a weirdo…but I guess he's got a good heart for sticking by me even though all we're doing is arguing.'_ Usio thought.

Even though they kept bickering, Momo noticed in that one short time when she smiled teasingly at him that she had a really good smile.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	19. Summer Starts: Natsume

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

"This is so retarded!" Natsume cursed.

She was looking for a job, any job. She needed money and she couldn't wait. She needed some money t pay for the rent because her father's shop is low on profits and he gambled again.

"You need to learn that gambling is for rich people or people who actually have extra money, in this case, we barley have any." Natsume smacked her father's back hard. There was a small crack heard. Mr. Yamada rubbed his back.

"I-I'll work harder. In the mean time, why don't you find a job?" Mr. Yamada suggested.

"I will." She hit the wall, almost cracking it. "And you won't touch a cent will you?" She forced a smile, trying to mask her obvious anger.

"N-No of course not…ha ha." Mr. Yamada was crying while laughing.

"Clean this house up now. When I come back from job hunting, this room better be spotless!" Natsume shouted as she put on some casual clothes and ran out the door.

"Of course, master." Mr. Yamada mumbled as he took out his vacuum cleaner.

--

Natsume crumbled the newspapers one b one when she couldn't find a single job that she could do. She sighed and decided to walk around and look for help needed/wanted signs. She did find one shop that she thought was pretty cool.

It was a sushi shop called Kawamura Sushi. She saw a help needed sign and went in. She was greeted by the owner, Mr. Kawamura. "Hello, young man, what can I get you?" He asked. Natsume thought she would laugh. Her name is a boys' name and she even looked like a boy with her casual clothes on.

"I'm a woman." She slightly smiled, amused at the man's shocked face.

"I'm sorry! Free sushi for you, miss." He said. It wasn't all that bad since she got free sushi.

"Thank you for your generosity old man." Natsume grinned. She was really hungry and free sushi only made her want to take advantage of the old man.

After a few minutes, Natsume got a table and free sushi. "I'll be eating this humble meal thankfully." She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and slightly bowed.

Natsume then started to eat her sushi, not caring about the stares from the other people. She already knew that they have heard wild rumors about her. "So miss, is there anything else you want?" Mr. Kawamura said.

"Ah, no, I'm alright. But…is there work that I can do here? Can I possibly get the job?" Natsume asked.

"Eh, oh yeah, we need more hands now that this place has more business. You want to work here?" he asked. Natsume nodded. "Yes." She smiled.

**~Next Day~**

Early in the morning, the wind was slightly blowing and new leaves of summer looked as lush as ever. Natsume smiled at the sight but first she had to make a stop at an old house. She had a bag of food and drinks. She made her way to the old abandoned house, seeing the small opening to the left of the big, grand door.

She saw the iron bars still there. "Hey old man, get out here!" She called out. The man took a peek through the iron bars.

"What do ya want missy?" He said in a mean tone.

"Your food," Natsume threw the bag very closely to the iron bars.

"I don't want yer stinkin food!" even though he said that, the old man was consuming the food at a fast rate.

"Why don't you come out of there? Staying inside and locking yourself up isn't good and without me bringing you food, you'd be dead 6 months ago." Natsume said.

She remembered the old coot when she first met him. He was a kind man who lived with his granddaughter but she sadly passed away. The old timer then locked himself up and was never heard of again. Natsume found him, nearly dead of starvation. He was still living in the house except in a small secluded area where the iron bars were. She gave him food and he ate it saying something like 'I will live to torture myself more for her death'. Natsume assumed that he was talking about his last family member who died which is his granddaughter.

"I already told you, I'm at fault for someone's death." He said.

"Whatever old man, now eat those vegetables. I don't care if you don't like celery." Natsume said sternly. The old man glared at her but ate the celery anyway.

Natsume then left the old man unknowing that someone had already watched her. The boy then went up to the old man and started talking.

"Ano…do you know that girl?" He asked.

"Hn, Yamada Natsume. She's da idiotic girl who visits me every day. Got a crush on her boy?" He asked. The boy blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"No, she's a classmate." He smiled sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, she told me that there were wild rumors going on around about her. It was something about her being a former Yankee." The old man said.

"Was she really?" Kawamura asked.

"She told me that she was a Yankee but she quit it due to someone changing her. I don't know who this person is but she sure is attached to this special person. The rumors say that she is cold hearted and has killed many people but they are just rumors. No cold blooded person would bring me food everyday especially when she was in a pinch." She old man said, trying to hide his blush since he was really thankful.

Kawamura smiled. He never thought that the rumors might be true but then Natsume was always anti-social with everyone except with the girls' tennis team.

**-Later-**

Kawamura entered his home. He was greeted by his father. "Why were you so late? We have customers. Luckily someone picked up the job offer." Mr. Kawamura smiled.

"We have a new worker?" Kawamura asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, I think she's a classmate of yours. She has some bad eyes but she's pretty and a bit nice…ah there she is." Mr. Kawamura pointed in the direction of a girl.

Kawamura looked and saw her, Yamada Natsume. He was dumbfounded. "Yamada-kun, come here and meet my son."

Natsume walked over and saw Kawamura. She immediately recognized him as her classmate. "Ah, hello Kawamura…kun." She didn't know whether she should say –san or –kun since she was in the presence of Kawamura's father.

"He, Taka-san is fine." Kawamura rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Ah, sure. Nice to be working with you Taka-san." Natsume said as they shook hands.

'_She/he seems nice…'_ they both thought in their heads before getting back to work.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	20. Summer Starts: Sakamoto

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Silence for one moment and then sparks flew as a drill penetrated the metal. After a hole was drilled, it became silent and dark again. More sparks flew as another hole was drilled again. The same thing was repeated over and over again until the product was done. Sakamoto had been inventing again.

It was her hobby to invent things especially during her free time so she can make extra money.

_**DING DONG**_

Sakamoto stopped when she just was about to start her new project. _'It could only be those two…'_ she thought as she snapped her fingers. In a matter of second, the maid immediately went to her side to wait for Sakamoto's orders.

"Sakamoto-sama?" The maid said.

"Open the door, if it's them then let them in." Sakamoto said, starting on her project again. The maid bowed and left Sakamoto to do her work.

After a few moments of Sakamoto being alone with her project, two people enter the room.

"Sakamoto, let's eat lots of sushi tonight!" Katou shouted enthusiastically. Sakamoto slightly smiled then she changed into a business smile.

"First I want to show you guys a cool anime that I spotted earlier today." Sakamoto said.

"Really? Let's see it!" Katou said enthusiastically.

Sakamoto nodded and pressed a couple of buttons from her computer screen. The computer screen then grew as big as a wide screen TV. Sakamoto pressed more buttons and then they could see each team member from the Seigaku boy's regular team.

"Whoa, did I miss something or are all the guys from the boys' regular team actors for the anime 'prince of tennis'?" Katou said, shocked. She was close to the screen, eyes glued to the TV.

"Actually from what I know from my sources, the guys were all video taped secretly that's why they didn't look at the camera all the time." Sakamoto explained.

"Man I wonder who this Takeshi Konomi guy is. He's a genius for getting in all of these shots…why the heck does Fuji have a cactus in his room?" Katou said with a bewildered expression on her face.

"Wow, I didn't know Echizen-san had a cat named Karupin…I think he's in love with the animal…" Emi said.

"OMG, Kaido is being nice to Echizen's cat!?" The girls' jaws dropped.

"Maybe this guy, Takashi Konomi, is a stalker…" Emi said.

"No he saw the guys one day when looking for inspiration and he based all of his work on them. The shots are just exaggerated to make it look better." Sakamoto explained.

"How do you know?" Katou asked.

"Oh, just because…" Sakamoto trailed off. "Anyway I also found a very interesting cite as well." Sakamoto chuckled. The girls twitch upon hearing the sound.

They still watched Sakamoto as she typed in the site. "F…? What the heck is that?" Katou asked.

"A site made by fans for fans. There is a list of stuff you can write a story for. Fanfics are basically a dedication story to a story made by a fan. And guess what? The anime 'prince of tennis' has a lot of fanfics but…some of them are shouen-ai." Sakamoto chuckled.

"W-What!? How many fics are shouen-ai with Fuji-san in them!?" Emi asked automatically.

"…Funny you would specifically ask for Fuji-san…" Sakamoto grinned. Emi blushed. "It's just that…er…his fangirls thinks he might be dating a guy due to his feminine looks so…I just wanted to know…" Emi tried to look for a cover up.

"Sakamoto, why are you logging in?" Katou asked.

"You see, I'm making an account and making a shouen-ai story with Tezuka and Fuji or commonly known as in this site as pillar pair." Sakamoto grinned again.

"W-What!? You're telling me Kunimitsu is gay!?" Katou exclaimed. She quickly picked up the phone and dialed Tezuka's number.

"KUNIMITSU! I need to confirm something so please answer me no matter how stupid it sounds, kk?" Katou asked.

"_Okay…"_

"Kunimitsu…are you gay?"

"_???"_

"You still there?"

"_Katou, I'm not gay."_

"Oh thank god. I was just nervous since I uh…saw this anime…and I was curious…anyway I loves you forever Kunimitsu! BYE!" Katou quickly hung up.

"Don't make any of those fics and what are you making Fuji do. You make him sound like a pervert!" Emi said as she read Sakamoto's rough draft.

"What's the rating?" Emi cautiously asked.

"Rated M for lemony goodness as they say." Sakamoto chuckled. Emi shivered.

"If I ever land on a big anime, I do not want to be paired with Katou in some Yuri fic." Emi looked like she was about to barf.

"The same thing goes for me as well…hmm, what's this?" Sakamoto pressed on the link.

"It says 'remake: princess of tennis' by AquaJet…who the heck is AquaJet?" Emi asked.

"…It seems as though she knows a lot about each of us…Ah…so you do have a thing for Fuji…" Sakamoto smiled.

"W-What!? N-No that person is writing lies!" Emi blushed heavily.

"Whoa, this person knew that I love to eat…I'm so not dense!" Katou said as she read on.

'_You don't even know half of it…'_ Emi and Sakamoto both thought.

"This person is dead accurate about us…let's never go back to this cite ever again." Emi said, creeped out.

"Hehe but I'm not finished. First I'm going to write tons of yoai fics about the guys and then print them out along with reviews and put them in their shoe locker and see their reactions." Sakamoto chuckled.

"…Sakamoto don't or else I might throw up since I know you're going to send them to me…" Emi looked around for a barf bag.

"Alright fine…" Sakamoto chuckled. Katou and Emi didn't even want to know what she was planning.

--

"Inui, I just wrote a fanfic and I want you to review it since you're so smart." Sakamoto innocently smiled. Inui looked at her cautiously.

"You could have just sent it to me through e-mail…" He said, reading the contents. He was so shocked at what he just read that the papers slipped from his grasp.

"These are about me…and Kaido…" Inui said, trying to gain his composure.

"Hmm, you and your protégé, isn't that a wonderful yoai pairing?" Sakamoto chuckled.

"I already have taken a liking to someone else." Inui coughed. Sakamoto's business smile looked more like it was forced.

"So who's the lucky lady?" Sakamoto's business smile was still on but there was a murderous aura around her. "We are childhood friends so tell me." Translation: tell me who this girl is or else I'll take you down and torture you for the answer.

"I think I need to go fix up my latest concoctions." Inui tried to slip away.

"Now hold on, dear, you still have to tell your future wife about your current girlfriends." Sakamoto business smiled. Inui froze.

"Future wife…?"

"Now don't tell me that you didn't know that our mothers were planning a wonderful arranged marriage." Sakamoto chuckled. "Your mother said that you were deeply in love with me but I guess you like another person." Sakamoto added.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow but first I need to talk to my mother." Inui quickly got out of the house (or technically underground mansion). Sakamoto smiled.

"You're so easy to tease…" She showed a small sad smile, knowing that there is a slight chance Inui might like another girl.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	21. Summer Starts: Katou

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Katou was feeling very unusual today. She didn't like that cite she saw when she was over at Sakamoto's mansion. She also didn't like the fact that a boy, especially Fiji, was picked as his lover. She had an opened mind and she didn't care about a male to male relationship but something bothered her.

She had a very painful feeling in her chest when she thought for a second that there was possibilities of Tezuka being gay from that cite she just saw. She mentally shook her head. _'No, Kunimitsu wouldn't lie to me because I'm his best friend…but why does my chest hurt a lot?? Maybe I'm hungry.'_ Katou thought as she went to her refrigerator.

She opened it and then took bags of chips, a PB & Jay sandwich, and a chocolate cake. She set them all up at her table. She then ate them all in a moderate pace. Her chest still hurts and she looked at the phone repeatedly.

'_Oh…I just want to hear his voice and that's all…'_ Katou got up and dialed the phone number.

She waited and waited as the dial tone kept going until the 3rd ring.

"_Hello?"_

"Ah, Auntie, is Kunimitsu there?" Katou asked, knowing that Tezuka's mom was on the other line.

"_Ah, Katou-chan, Kunimitsu is here, studying. Can you do me a favor and take him out to dinner? I think all he's been doing is studying in his room. You know how anti-social Kunimitsu can be."_

"Ha ha, he's not anti-social he's just quiet. After all he's a private kind of guy. He doesn't know how to express his feelings freely." Katou said.

"_As expected from his best friend, you always knew him more than anyone else even me."_

Katou felt a big pang in her chest when she heard the words 'his best friend'. _'I must be seriously hungry'_ she told herself. She then went to go speak with Tezuka when his mother handed the phone over to him. Katou and Tezuka had a brief talk of where they were going. Tezuka decided that it should be in Katou's favorite place which was obviously a buffet of some sort.

After the two agreed on the place, they decided to meet up at 6 o' clock. After they hung up, Katou was feeling happy again. She wondered why she had a sudden burst of happiness. Maybe it was because she was eating more food…with her best friend.

--

Katou was at a high peak of her happiness. She saw so many foods like spaghetti, pizza, salads, ice cream, crepes, shortcakes, sushi, types of soups, and many more. She mostly was fond of the sweets.

"Thank you Kunimitsu. I'll love you forever." Katou smiled brightly at the stoic captain. Just for one moment the stoic captain's mouth curved upwards but then immediately went back down to his usually serious expression. His eyes, however, softened up more.

As Katou was eating, she was painfully oblivious to the cold stares directed at her and the loving gaze towards Tezuka. She never wondered why girls never hung out with her, she even remembered that one girl who was her friend at one time. It was during Middle School when Emi and Sakamoto were sent to a different school.

_~Flashback~_

"Hello my name is Momoko Katou, what's yours?" Katou asked her new seatmate.

"Fujiwari Maki." The girl smiled.

"So um…you're friends with Tezuka-sama, ne?" She blushed at the mention of his name. Katou was puzzled by her reaction.

"Um yeah…Maki are you okay? Your face seems a little flushed." Katou stated bluntly.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Maki said, looking away. Katou couldn't understand this girl one bit.

--

Katou was staring at Maki again. It seems as though Maki keeps a constant loving gaze towards her best friend Tezuka. Katou felt irritated for some reason but brushed it off. She wondered why Maki always blushed and stuttered in the presence of Tezuka.

"Katou-kun, you're walking home with Tezuka-sama, ne? Can I join you?" She asked eagerly. Katou nodded, still puzzled by her actions.

--

"Kunimitsu, do you want me to help ou?" Katou asked. Tezuka nodded.

"Ahem, Katou-kun, can we talk outside for a moment?" Maki asked, eyes showing a bit of anger. Katou was confused. _'Did I do something wrong?'_ she asked herself.

After they stepped out, Maki slapped Katou. Katou tried to regain her composure from the impact. She didn't know why Maki had hit her. She was absolutely clueless.

"Tezuka-sama is mine! You are too close to him and that's why he doesn't like me. It's because you're in the way!" She said in silent yet angry whispers. Maki knew that Tezuka was still in the room and she didn't want him to see her ugly side.

"Kunimitsu is not an object. He can't be owned." Katou pointed out.

"Hah that's so funny since you act like you own him. You're a hypocrite. You knew I liked Tezuka-sama yet you still call him Kunimitsu and say things like 'let's go study' or 'let's eat at so-an-so's restaurant'. You make me sick! Sick to the bone!" She said, storming away.

And Katou never had a clue.

_~End of Flashback~_

Katou stared at her food and waited. She then looked up to Tezuka, examining his feature. He looks so serene. His handsome face was still in a serious expression yet his beautiful dark brown eyes were the key. Katou never had to look at his body language because she found her answers through his eyes.

She never had a clue that her friend in middle school didn't like her much and would only hang out with her for Tezuka because she was a fan and Katou never knew.

'_It's funny how I didn't cry or feel pained. She never was much of a friend now that I think about it but I guess it's because she wanted to make Tezuka love her. This emotion they call love…how can you tell?'_ she asked herself.

She then looked up to Tezuka. She always knew that he knew a lot more than she did. "Kunimitsu, what is love?" She asked. Tezuka stared at her and then he blinked.

His face then returned to a serious expression. "The dictionary defines love as a feeling of personal attachment or affection for someone or something." Tezuka replied.

"Oh then I love you." She said, smiling.

Tezuka coughed. His face was still stern but his eyes were smiling for him. "I don't think it's the type of love you think." Tezuka said, drinking his coffee.

"Eh, then what kind of love is it?" She asked.

"The kind your mother and father share." He said.

Katou couldn't remember her father much but she knew that he loved her mother though it didn't feel like the love for his friends, child, or family but something deeper.

"Katou are you alright?" Tezuka asked with a small hint of concern in his voice. Katou had a splitting headache. She had been having a lot this morning. She felt something warm press against her forehead.

"Nothing seems wrong." Katou blushed when she realized it was Tezuka's warm hand. "Hmm, now it seems as though you might have a fever. Should we go home?" Tezuka politely asked.

Katou was the one who usually talked a lot but sometimes, especially when she might be sick, he would talk a bit more. She nodded her head. Tezuka then led her out. Katou's phone rang. She was surprised to think someone would call her.

Katou pressed the 'talk' button and said, "Hello?"

"_Katou, I know this probably wouldn't be a good time to ask you but do you know how you can tell if someone likes you or vise versa? And no it's not love between friends. I mean the love shared between couples."_

"Uh…I don't know Ems." She replied.

"_Well it says here on the cite from my computer that your heart beats faster, your face gets flushed, you don't want this person to leave, and every time the person you like touches you, that spot gets hotter."_

"Oh, okay. Anyway I'm going since I think I should sleep early. Love you Ems, good night." Katou hung up. As Katou thinks about what Emi said, she looks at Tezuka.

Her heart was beating faster, her blush growing more intense, she had a desire for not wanting Tezuka to leave, and finally, Tezuka was holding her hand which was very hot in her opinion. _'Oh, what's wrong with me? Is the kind of love I have for Tezuka different than friends and more like a couple like mom and dad?'_ Her headache grew more painful and she collapsed.

--

Tezuka had to carry Katou all the way home. He was worried about her but he didn't show it since it never showed due to his normally stoic personality yet Katou was able to see right through him.

When he finally came to Katou's house, he brushed past Katou's mother and set Katou down on her bed. Katou was tossing, turning, and mumbling things that Tezuka couldn't understand. She finally got up in a sitting position and stared at Tezuka.

"Ugh, Kunimitsu…" Katou slightly groaned in pain. She had a cold pack placed on her forehead.

"Get some rest, you're sick." He said. Katou nodded and laid back down on the bed.

'_Ah, so I was just sick and that's all…'_ she thought before drifting to sleep.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	22. Summer Starts: Sakuno

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Sakuno stared at the phone. She wanted to call someone and it wasn't just anyone. She wanted to call her good friend Echizen Ryoma. Yes, Sakuno and Ryoma became good friends and can actually call each other. She got his phone number from her grandma but was too scared to call because she thought he would think that she was weird.

Sakuno then asked him for his phone number one day but he replied by saying 'doesn't your grandma already have it?' Sakuno then told him that since they were friends, they should talk to each other like over the phone. Ryoma just replied with his normal 'Hn' and now Sakuno can't even dial his phone number that she actually memorized.

'_Be brave Sakuno, fight-o! Be brave like Tomo-chan and Katou-sempai!'_ Sakuno dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

"_Hello?"_

"U-Um, can I speak to Echizen Ryoma?"

"_Who's this?"_

"U-Um, Ryuzaki Sakuno."

"_Heh, so you're the little brat's girlfriend. Did you know he is a big pervert? He has many magazines with naked women in them. He plays with other girls every night and you better be careful not to be alone with him because he can be a monster-…"_

Sakuno then heard lots of sounds from the background, mostly ones from pain to the man who was talking to her. The phone was dead silent and then she heard footsteps. The phone was then answered by a familiar voice.

"_Ryuzaki, why are you calling me?"_

"R-Ryoma-kun! I-I just wanted to ask y-you something." Sakuno blushed.

"_Hn?"_

"Um…will you…will you go to the park with me?"

"_?"_

"Ryoma-kun?"

"_Hn."_

"Ah, so I'll see you there um…when do you want to go?"

"_Today is fine."_

"Okay, um…2 hours from now?"

"_Hn."_

Sakuno heaved out a relieved sigh when she hung up. She was really excited to be able to hang out with Ryoma.

"Sakuno, who did you-…?" Sumire started but couldn't finish.

Sakuno was in a state of happiness. She was smiling so happily and warmly. She didn't seem to be listening to Sumire because she was mumbling something on what to wear. "Pink is always cute." Sakuno said as she skipped all the way to her room.

Sumire couldn't help but laugh a bit at her granddaughter's obviously happy reaction. She already had a good guess of who Sakuno called. "Make sure you come home early, Sakuno!" She said, still laughing.

"Yes, grandma."

**-Later-**

Sakuno was still picking something to wear. "This one looks cute but the blue one looks better." Sakuno said. She took another pile of clothes and started to search each of them. She noticed her digital clock was telling her that she had already spent over an hour and 45 minutes of deciding on what to wear.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" Sakuno rushed to find some randomly cute clothes.

Once she found a quickly pair of clothes that were somewhat cute, she immediately rushed out of the house. She ran as fast as she could. Luckily, she wouldn't be out of breath too soon thanks to her training with Sakamoto's changing menus.

She rushed through the streets and could barley notice the sign that tells you whether you walk or not. Sakuno failed to notice that there was a red stop instead of a green walk so she kept running. A car that was in front of Sakuno tried to stop.

Sakuno noticed the car and just stopped. She was scared at the sound of the screeching tires and wondered if this was the end. _'No, I never got a chance to win a match for once, to improve in my tennis, or even confess to Ryoma-kun.'_ Sakuno thought she would cry. She instinctively wrapped her arms over her head and waited for the strong impact.

But it never came. Sakuno felt something pressed against her and then she heard his voice.

"That's dangerous, Ryuzaki." Ryoma gasped for air.

"R-Ryoma-kun!?" She was really shocked. Ryoma had just saved her life.

"Ah, sorry, sorry, and I'm so sorry for the trouble. Thank you for saving me." Sakuno bowed a million times.

"Raise your head, Ryuzaki. As long as you're fine then it's okay." He then motioned his hand for her to follow. Sakuno stared at him but then she nodded. She quietly followed.

They walked all the way to the park, never stopping. Sakuno was behind him the whole time, trying her best not to stare at him. But she was not in luck. She stared at Ryoma, looking at his features closely. He had really gown taller, leaner, and stronger. His cat-like eyes were still beautiful as the golden tint shined from the sun. His hair was still ruffled yet a bit longer and his face still had that pretty boy kind of look.

"Why are you staring at me Ryuzaki?" Ryoma asked. She also noticed that his voice was deeper than before.

"I-I was not staring." Sakuno blushed and looked down at her shoes.

When they finally reached the park, they headed towards the courts. Sakuno knew the first place he would go to is the tennis courts. That's why she brought her racket along. Her racket was red and looked a lot like Ryoma's racket. She uses it everyday and takes really good care of it.

Ryoma noticed the racket she was holding. He didn't know that she would even like that racket since her previous one was pink as he vaguely remembered.

Ryoma took out his racket and then got on court. "You serve." He said, positioning himself at the baseline.

Sakuno nodded and started her serve. She hit it near the far left corner. Ryoma quickly ran to return it and he did, easily. Sakuno didn't feel pleased that he would be going easy on her. _'At least he should act like that was hard to do.'_ She thought as she returned the ball near the net.

Ryoma ran all the way to net, not feeling sweaty at all. The ball passed Sakuno's shoulder at a quick speed. She never got a chance to return it.

"15 love." Roma said, getting into position. Sakuno pouted.

She served again but this time, it was hit towards the center. Ryoma rushed to the ball and returned it easily. He hit it towards the far right corner, "30 love." He said.

Sakuno was not feeling okay. She wanted to beat Ryoma. She wanted him to stop thinking of her as a small fry or probably just a warm up but not this time. She practiced everyday and tried the nutritional food that Sakamoto laid out (thankfully Amane cooked the meal or else no one would take it). Even if she would lose, Sakuno wanted to win a least 3 games against him.

Sakuno served it in between Ryoma's legs as a direct challenge to him. Ryoma reacted quickly and took a step back and returned the ball, accepting her challenge. The two soon broke out into a rally. Ryoma, however, didn't look like he was trying.

'_He's just warming up!'_ Sakuno thought as she hit the ball really hard to the left.

Sakuno scored 3 more points. Ryoma, however, won the first game. They kept on playing, neither releasing their special moves. Finally, when it came to the end where one would win, Ryoma scored the last point, 6 games to 2.

Sakuno was panting heavily. _'I…I got 2 games against him!'_ she thought happily. _'I'm improving thank god. But I need to work harder!'_ Sakuno thought, determinedly.

"Good job, Ryuzaki." Ryoma said, indifferently. Sakuno blushed because she was praised by her long time crush.

"Um, can we play another game?" Sakuno asked hopefully.

Ryoma seemed to be stoic then his lips slowly curved up a bit into a small smile. "Hn" Ryoma said. Sakuno never saw him smile like that but then again there was only one time she saw him smile. And that was when she gave him the tennis ball with his face on it.

'_He should smile more…'_ Sakuno blushed once more at the thought of his small smile.

"Serve first Ryuzaki." Ryoma said, looking bored and indifferent as always. Sakuno sighed. She should have taken a picture of his smile.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	23. Summer Ends: Emi

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Fuji was thoroughly happy that he got a chance to tease Emi before summer started. He developed an interest for her. She always seemed different. On the outside, Emi would appear as an ordinary girl minus her hazel eyes and lemon colored hair. On the inside, however, she had a different personality.

In class she would smile aloofly and barley pay attention yet when she was near Katou, Sakamoto, or the rest of the regular girls, she would be happy and be more talkative. Fuji also thought that she had very interesting reactions whenever he did a trick or two.

Too bad he couldn't tease Emi since she wasn't there in the café where Fuji decided he should go out and mess with people. It was Fuji's hobby to smile at a group of girls and watch them squeal until they got kicked out or when he pretends to flirt with the waitresses (even waiters) and switch the drinks. He would laugh at people's different reaction when they each drank their portion. Some would get lucky and like the drink. Others, however, would spit it out and rush into the restroom.

Sure he got his laughs but nothing can compare to Emi's embarrassed yet cute face. Fuji now wishes he could have taken pictures of that. He brought a camera and had a feeling that something good was going to happen but so far, everything's the same.

"Excuse me, would you like to order something now?" The waitress with a familiar voice came by. Fuji looked up to see the girl he had just been thinking about.

"Emi-chan," Fuji purposefully said while chuckling. Emi blushed when she realized that it was Fuji she was serving.

"F-Fuji-san? Um, what do you want to order?" She asked, gaining composure.

"Hmm…cherry chuu smoothie," Fuji smiled. Emi blushed.

"That's not what your real order is. You probably want something spicy." Emi said.

Fuji wondered why this girl knew his favorite tastes. "I do like spicy food but how do you know?" Fuji asked.

"Actually, I went to Kawamura sushi once by myself but you were with Oishi-san and Tezuka-san at the time. I saw that you had a plate of wasabi and considering the shading of color, it must have been pretty spicy." Emi said.

"Saa, I'm so happy that you like to stalk me all day just to try to know me better but I think you should just ask me." Fuji chuckled.

"I-I do not stalk you!" Emi's face was a cherry red color. _'Mou, such a sadist…but his face is so handsome…wait, do not let him get to you Emi! You got to Fight-O!'_ Emi thought.

"Anyway, what's your order?" Emi said, calming down.

"Saa, I'd like the wasabi ice-cream, extra spicy." Fuji said. He chuckled again when he saw Emi's jaw drop.

"How many scoops do you want, 50 or something?" Emi mumbled in disbelief.

"That would have been great but I'll only take 3 scoops today." Fuji smiled. Emi narrowed her eyes at him.

'_He's seriously is way too different…'_ She thought as she left to go process his order.

After a few minutes, Emi came back with Fuji's three scoops of extra spicy wasabi ice cream. She placed it on his table and smiled.

"Anything else?" She asked, business smile still on.

"Saa, how about you feed me?" Fuji smiled. Emi's eye twitched.

'_We would look like a couple…'_ Emi blushed then thought about Fuji's dangerous fan girls and decided not to get too close. She didn't want to be beaten up or go missing.

"Ah, you got two hands that work just fine so I think you can feed yourself." Emi said.

Fuji had never been rejected before so it was a first that a girl would do that. Emi really was different compared to the other girls who just willingly throw themselves at him. He didn't like those kind of girls much since he barley knew them but he was after all famous so he just shrugged it off (or more technically, he smiled it off…). He also thought that Emi might have had some sort of sparks for him. Fuji then thought he should try harder.

Fuji was about to open his mouth and say something but two guys came along. One was a tall muscular guy and the other was a leaner, skinny guy. They were looking at Emi with literally hearts coming out of their eyes.

Emi's waitress outfit was modified. Her skirt was a bit shorter with tiny gems that were glued on to the sides. Her shirt had style and flare added by the ends of the sleeves being loose and cut skillfully. Emi's hair was brushed back with a heart hair pin holding it in place. On other words, she looked wildly cute and spunky.

"Hey, how about you ditch this place and come with us for some fun?" The taller one asked.

"No thanks. I'd rather work than play with you two." Emi said, walking away.

One of them grabbed her wrist. "Playing hard to get huh?" He smirked. Emi was about to hit him but someone pulled her. She felt another warm body. She looked up to see that Fuji had his arms wrapped around her.

"This is my girlfriend you're talking to." Fuji revealed his blue eyes. His eyes showed anger that made the two men freeze right on the spot. "If you don't want to get hurt then you better run before I hunt you down." Fuji chuckled sadistically.

The two guys were now shaking in fear. They knew Fuji meant business so they ran as fast as they could with their tails in between their legs.

"Are you okay, Emi-chan?" Fuji purposefully said while smiling.

Emi's cheeks turned into a bright rose color. "T-Thank you." She whispered.

"Hmm? I couldn't hear you. Could you please repeat that?" Fuji's smile grew wider.

"T…Thank you." Emi said a bit louder this time.

"You're welcome." Fuji said, lifting something up.

_Click_

"Eh?" Emi just heard a clicking sound.

"You look so cute." Fuji said, showing her the developing picture.

"You look so flustered. I couldn't help but want to take a picture of that." Fuji chuckled. Emi's blush grew a darker shade.

"W-What!? Stop taking pictures!" Emi said trying to cover her face.

_Click. Click. Click._

"Wah, Fuji-san is such a sadist!" Emi said as she rushed into the women's bathroom. _'Why did I fall in love with a sadist!?'_ she asked herself.

Fuji was chuckling outside of the women's restroom. He would wait the whole day just for more pictures. As Fuji was waiting patiently, he looked at the picture where Emi thanked him. She had on a cute yet flustered face. '_Hmm, I'll enlarge it and hang it up on my wall…'_ Fuji was also planning to somehow get Emi to go to his house so he could take many pictures of her reactions again.

"Emi-chan, I'm sorry. Can you please come out?" Fuji asked.

"I don't want to!" Emi pouted from behind the door. Fuji could already imagine her putting and wished he would've had an extra camera there to capture that.

"I'm going to come in." Fuji said.

"You can't come in here unless you're a woman and I'm pretty sure that other girls would try to kick you out along with me." Emi replied.

"Then I'll just buy a dress from the store across the street-…" Fuji was cut off. Emi quickly got out of the bathroom.

"I do not want to see you in a dress Fuji-san. It would haunt me forever on how good you might actually look in it." Emi said. Fuji only chuckled some more.

"Let's be friends." Fuji said as he took his hand out for a handshake.

'_It's like signing a deal with the devil…'_ Emi stared at his hand and then at Fuji's face. His eyes were opened yet he was smiling comfortably. Emi felt her heart melt. Her hand touched his so the deed was done.

Fuji closed his eyes. "Let's be good friends." He said with that creepy genius smile.

_Click. Click. Click._

Emi saw the camera again and immediately started to run away with a flustered look on her face. '_Damn it, I signed the deal with the devil wearing an angel's mask!'_ Emi thought as she ran away from Fuji and his camera.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	24. Summer Ends: Airi

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Airi and Hazue became good friends as well as Kaido with Airi. Kaido also talks to Airi over the phone or when he was joining his little brother on Airi's and Hazue's 'date' to the zoo. Kaido could tell that his little brother had a crush on Airi.

"Big brother, I'm going on another date with Airi-chan. Can you come with me please? I might get nervous." Kaido's brother pleaded.

'_Nervous about what…?'_ Kaido wondered. He nodded at his little brother's request.

"Thank you! Oh and we'll be going to the museum again." Hazue said excitedly. Kaido nodded again at his younger brother.

**~Nakashima Live Museum~**

Hazue was running around everywhere. He kept on playing with all of the animals and grabbing most of Airi's attention. She never got a chance to talk to Kaido. Airi was really hoping to talk to him because he seemed really nice yet Hazue was really cute.

"Airi-chan, will you marry me?" Hazue asked. Airi thought that his little crush on her was adorable.

"Sure…when you're of that age that is. Besides I'd be too old for your tastes when you do reach that age." Airi explained.

"No because Airi-chan is a princess from the animal kingdom." Hazue said.

"I…I am?" Airi pointed at herself dumbly.

"Yeah but before that, you have to meet mom and dad." Hazue said. Kaido turned his attention to his younger brother.

'_What does he mean by that…?'_ Kaido thought.

"So you'll come home with me and big brother for dinner right? I already asked mom and dad and they said it was alright." Hazue said. Kaido stared at his brother, wide eyed.

"Um…well if you put it that way then I can't refuse so of course I'll go." Airi smiled. Kaido's heart started to speed up a little.

"Um, if that's okay with you, Kaido-san." Airi said, walking over to Kaido.

Kaido could see her green eyes more clearly and her hair was shiny under the lights form the museum. Airi looked more closely at Kaido. She noticed that his eyes weren't black but a very dark green color. Kaido blushed at how close her face was to his.

"Kaido-san, I didn't know you had green eyes as well." Airi said, trying to break the ice down.

"Y-Yeah…" Kaido looked away, blushing. Airi was worried. She wondered if he didn't like her.

Hazue, being the kid he is, watched the whole scene. Despite being small, he was actually pretty sharp for a little kid. He already noticed that Kaido was acting ten times shyer around Airi. He knows that Kaido doesn't get along well with girls and would avoid them but he would never blush in front of the like he did with Airi.

"Ne, let's go!" Hazue said, trying to speed things up. He grabbed both Kaido and Airi's hands. They ran all the way to Kaido's house. Kaido noticed that Airi had some pretty good stamina after that run. Hazue, being the impatient little kid he is, dragged Airi and Kaido into the house.

"Mom, dad, I brought Airi-chan and big brother home. Can we have something good tonight?" Hazue yelled.

Airi took a look around and found it to be a fairly normal house. 'Wait…Hazue-kun and Kaido-san look very similar…so does that mean both of the parents look alike? And I wish Kaido-san would be a kid considering that Hazue-kun looks so cute!' Airi thought as she slightly giggled.

"Airi-chan, we're having an Italian style dinner!" Hazue announced.

"So what which of the Italian's fine cuisine are we talking about?"Airi smiled.

"Spaghetti with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese." Hazue replied.

"Oh that sounds delicious, ne Kaido-san?" She asked Kaido. Kaido looked away before replying. "Y…Yeah…"

Hazue pouted. "Big brother, it's not nice to look away and you're barley talking to Airi-chan." Hazue said.

"Oh not it's alright. Kaido-san is either shy or quiet around people, other than his family, in school from my perspective. I also thought that we could be friends but…" Airi didn't finish. She had a light tint of pink on her face.

"Big brother, you'll be great friends with Airi-chan, ne? So you have to look at her in the face and talk to her properly." Hazue said.

Kaido couldn't reject his little brother since he was just way too cute. Kaido looked at Airi with his hand covering most of his face. "Um…thank you for playing with my younger brother this whole summer…" Kaido said in a muffled voice but Airi could still make sense of his words.

'_So Kaido-san is shy…that's so…cute!'_ Airi wishes that she could give Kaido a hug.

Hazue, being the devious little brother he is, pushed Airi so that she could 'accidentally' hug his older brother, Kaido. Kaido did catch Airi and it looked a lot like a normal hug between couples. Kaido's parents enter the room and see the little scene.

"Oh my…Hazue, you never told me Koaru and Airi-san are a couple." Hozumi (Kaido's mom) said with a smile.

"You're right, darling, our son has grown." Shibuki (Kaido's dad) said.

Both Kaido and Airi blushed. "N-No, you got it all wrong. It was an accident." Kaido straightened out.

Airi liked hugging Kaido. _'I can't believe I actually felt…how strong he was…he must train a lot…and he must be pretty…buff…'_ Airi blushed when images of Kaido shirtless started to pop in her head.

"Are you alright?" Kaido asked, some concern showing in his voice.

"Ah, yes…" Airi said a little stiffly.

They all moved into the kitchen table. Hazomi went into the kitchen and Airi followed.

"You're making spaghetti, ne? Let me help." Airi said.

"Oh thank you. You're so nice. I'm glad you and my son are…lovers." Hazomi giggled. Airi blushed.

"N-No, we're just friends…" Airi's blush had gone deeper.

"Even if you two aren't together, I can see that you like him. Am I wrong?" Hazomi asked.

'_Guess you can't fool a wise dog…'_ Airi thought. "U-Um, the spaghetti?" Airi tried to change subjects. Hazomi respected Airi's privacy and let Airi help with the cooking.

Meanwhile, back with the three men, Kaido was getting sort of a lecture with his father and younger brother.

"Now, my son, you're at the age where you get new feelings. But you must be warned, there are respectable boundaries you need to place on yourself." Shibuki started.

"But dad, Airi-chan is my future wife!" Hazue argued.

"You're too young for her." Shibuki stated.

"Coming from a dad who is three years younger than mom…" Hazue mumbled.

"That is different besides I'm pretty sure Koaru likes Airi-san and vise versa." Shibuki said. Hazue pouted. His brother, Kaido, wasn't sure of his own feelings toward Airi. Sure she was nice and likes animals so much that she knows each of their histories. But there was something about her that made his heart race like he does when he jogs every morning.

Airi and Hazomi then came in with the spaghetti and served the men as well as themselves. They all had a wonderful chat and sometimes they would say how cute of a couple Airi and Kaido would make. Both Kaido and Airi would blush at the comment.

After dinner, Airi would say goodbye at the door. "Thank you for the meal." She smiled at Kaido.

"…you're welcome…" Kaido replied stiffly.

'_This is going nowhere…'_ Hazue thought.

"Big brother, how about you walk Airi-chan home?" Hazue said innocently.

"Ah, it's alright. I wouldn't want to cause you so much trouble." Airi said.

"Don't worry, big brother is strong and he can protect you, ne?" Hazue had a begging look. Kaido gave in and nodded at Hazue's request.

Hazue watched as the two walked down the street talking to each other. Even in the dark, Hazue could notice that Kaido was enjoying himself. _'I'll only back off for you, big brother.'_ Hazue smiled and went inside, forgetting about his crush on Airi.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	25. Summer Ends: Amane

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Oishi would always come back to the small garden in the park because he liked the flowers there but how could anyone really tell? Maybe he wanted to see a certain girl who works there everyday.

Amane would always pick some flowers out of the garden and make them into a bouquet. She had been doing a lot of them for the past few days. Oishi wondered why she was doing that. He also wondered why a certain guy would be around her all the time.

"Eh, so is it really that time?" Amane said to the strange older man. Another thing Oishi noticed was that Amane didn't blush or stutter around this guy.

"Yeah, it's tomorrow so get ready." He said.

Oishi just happened to be nearby and was listening in on the conversation by accident. "Oh, I'll get flowers." Amane said.

"Just make sure they are roses, ne?" He asked, kissing Amane on the cheek before leaving. Amane waved goodbye to the unidentified man. Oishi felt bad for some reason. Was it because he was eavesdropping or maybe something else…

"Oishi-san, what are you doing here?" Amane had a light blush on her face. Whenever she would talk to people even if it's a classmate, she would blush and stutter due to her shy nature. The only time she wouldn't blush and stutter is with her friends and family.

"Oh I…no reason…um, who was that guy just now?" Oishi asked.

"Ah, he's my-…" Amane got cut off.

"Ah, Amane-chan, it's good to see you!" the old timer walked towards Amane and eyed Oishi.

"So…this here is your lover?" The old timer asked.

"A-Ah, n-n-n-no he's a-a c-c-classmate." Amane said, blushing furiously.

"Y-Yeah…" Oishi agreed, also blushing.

"Hmm…? Such a shame and you two would have made a wonderful couple." The old timer smiled.

"P-Please…" Amane blushed and felt embarrassed.

"How about I tell you two a story about my wife Lenore and the day we got married?" The old timer asked. Amane smiled and nodded. Oishi just went along with Amane and nodded. He also wanted to know about this old man's tales of love.

"I was a shy and nervous lad at that day…" He began.

_~Flashback~_

Gin kept pacing back and forth. He was already dressed for his best on the night of his wedding day. His bride, of course, is Lenore. They had been dating for a long time and Gin finally mustered up the courage to ask for Lenore's hand in marriage.

Gin was still pacing and worrying about a lot of things. _'Did she run away? Was it too much for her? Am I not the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with?'_ these questions plagued young Gin's mind.

"Geez, look at yourself. Quit worrying or else you'll grow zits oh wait you past that stage." Lenore's best friend, Sabrina, said with a smirk on her face.

"But what if she gets scared and runs away. She was always so cute and fragile and easily scared-…" Gin was cut off.

"Oh god just shut up. You sound like a worried mother." Sabrina rubbed her temples. "Anyway, Lenore-chan is putting on her make-up and fixing her hair. After all, she said she wants to look beautiful in front of her wonderful fiancé." Sabrina mumbled.

"Lenore isn't beautiful! She is always so pretty and cute like a gorgeous angel!" Gin said.

Sabrina threw a metal vase at Gin's head causing him to fall on the floor, half-dead. "Stupid Gin. Why did Lenore-chan have to have some sort of weird mother complex?" Sabrina said with a frown.

"Lenore doesn't have a mother complex!" Gin argued.

"No shit, you're like a mom and Lenore-chan likes you hence the mother complex. Now shut up and stop pacing before I shove this pole right up your-…" Sabrina's phone rings. "Oh wait hold on…hello? Oh yeah, the idiot is pacing all over the place…tell me again why you are marrying him…? He's not even good-looking and he's such a worrywart. He pisses me off all the time…okay, love you too, bye." Sabrina hung up.

"Who was that?" Gin asked.

"An angel from heaven in the form of a human called Lenore as you always say." Sabrina stuck her tongue out.

"What did she say?" Gin asked, a bit anxious.

"None of your business, you stupid excuse for a half-wit!" Sabrina said.

"Why are you so mean to me?" Gin asked, curious.

"Because of you Lenore doesn't stop talking about you and I don't have the heart to say shut up. Because of you Lenore spends less time with me. And it's because of you that I sometimes get mad at her for not knowing what I felt even though I know she doesn't know." Sabrina started strong and angry but ended sad and softly.

"What do you mean?" Gin asked, unknowing.

"Oh just shut your trap, go down the isle, and say 'I do' to your new wife." Sabrina said, pinching Gin's cheeks.

Gin looked at Sabrina with symphony. He didn't know that Sabrina liked him but gave up for Lenore's sake. Lenore came in, dressed in a beautiful kimono.

Gin blushed. "L-Lenore, you look beautiful." Gin said shyly. Lenore blushed. "Thank you." She smiled.

After the ceremony, Lenore and Gin went to go part with the rest of their family members. They had a great time but Gin was especially weary when a certain guest appeared late.

A tall, handsome man came in and hugged Lenore. Gin never met this man before but Lenore seemed to be very familiar with him. She looked happy but her face was shy or red like she was when she talks to Gin. Gin got jealous as went sulking in a corner.

Sabrina saw his depressed state and decided to mess with him. She walked to him with a smirk on her face knowing that he was sulking and probably made some soft of voodoo doll of the new guest.

"What are you doing, mother?" She smirked.

"None of your business." Gin pouted.

"That guy might have been Lenore's Ex-lover." Sabrina grinned. Gin's eyes widened.

"Ne, do you know?" He said, immediately getting up.

"It's none of my business…" Sabrina smirked.

_~End of Flashback~_

"Um, Gin-san?" Amane asked. The old timer fell asleep in the middle of his story again. Oishi and Amane sweat dropped.

"Does he always do that?" Oishi asked.

"Sadly, yes. I guess he gets really tired from telling a story but you could tell that he really loved his wife from his expressions." Amane smiled at old Gin.

Oishi couldn't take it anymore. Gin's story reminded him of the strange man that came in earlier and hugged Amane. Oishi was jealous yet he was a bit too dense to think that he likes Amane. He still, however, wanted to know more about the mysterious man this morning and the old timers story only made him more determined to ask.

"Um, Amane-san…who was the man who was there before I came?" Oishi asked.

"Oh, that was my brother hehe. He's getting married soon and he wanted me to make the bouquet for his fiancé." Amane explained. Oishi felt at ease when he heard that because at least no one was dating his precious Amane.

'_Wait…my precious Amane? What am I thinking?'_ Oishi blushed. Amane felt his forehead, in case of a fever he might have.

The old timer was never asleep. He was watching the two of them this morning. He just wanted to help out Oishi since Oishi reminded the old timer of himself when he was younger. As for the story, it turns out that the man was just Lenore's half-brother. _'Just hope he isn't a worrywart like me'_ Gin thought

Too bad Oishi already was a lot like the old timer.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	26. Summer Ends: Yumi

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Yumi felt extremely bored and needed to do something to keep her sanity. So she went outside and decided to go to Walmart or Wallyworld as she calls it. Yumi skipped down the streets, not caring if anyone gave her weird looks. She had to do something and something for her meant absolute disaster for the police.

As she entered Walmart, the first evil deed to do was to go to the security camera and pretend it was a mirror. She looked at the camera and started to pick her teeth. After a couple of minutes she stopped, smiled, and walked away. Her first deed was done now to do more and mess with people.

Yumi went to the canned food section. She quickly scanned each row looking for one specific can. She smiled when she finally found the can of tomato juice. She took it and looked for a can opener. _'Can opener…can opener…ah? Oh!'_ Yumi grabbed some random person's sharp hair pin and used that as a can opener. She gave the hair pin back and went to the meat section.

Yumi slowly poured out the tomato juice on the floor and slowly went all the way into the restroom and finally finishing it off in the toilets. She discarded the empty can into the trash bin and went out. She was just beginning on her little tricks.

Yumi went to the clothing section of Walmart and grinned deviously. She picked up a random T-shirt and started talking to herself.

"Oh my gosh, you would look so great in that!"

"What? Really? But I think the red one would be better."

"You're right, hey did you hear about Akira-kun?"

"What?"

"They say he was sent to jail for throwing the biggest party ever and he raped ten girls in that one night!"

"What!? That's crazy!"

"I know right?"

Yumi could almost laugh at all of the people's faces when they brushed past her. They were all giving her weird looks. She knew that each of them was thinking she was absolutely insane for talking to herself. Yumi laughed out loud, only causing more people to think she was crazy.

Yumi then walked down the store humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme song. After a while, one of the clerks walks up to Yumi and asks if she needs any help. Yumi begins to cry.

"Why can't you people just leave me alone!?" Yumi runs away from the dumbfounded clerk.

Yumi had been doing more naughty things like stealing 24 boxes of condoms and randomly putting them in peoples' carts when they aren't looking. She saw many different reactions when they found the embarrassing box. Most of them blushed, others cursed, and some people even cried.

Yumi then walked up to an employee and with an official and authority-like tone. "Code 3 in house wares." she said. The employee panicked and announced it on the speakers.

"Code 3 in house wares! Bees bathed in tomato juice are in the house wares section!" he exclaimed.

When Yumi heard the announcement over the loud speakers, she rushed to the place with the most people around and assumed the fetal position. "NO IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!" Yumi screamed. This alarmed many of the shoppers.

Yumi had a good laugh and now she went to go do her last deed. She went over the food court of the store. When it was finally her turn, Yumi ordered something unusual.

"Um, can I have a cheese burger, large fries, and two apple pies…?" Yumi leaned in with a serious face on. "And I'd also like diet water." She finished. The woman looked at her like she was crazy.

"Um…we don't have diet water…did you mean diet soda?" She asked.

"No, I specifically wanted diet water." Yumi said sternly.

"But there's no such thing as diet water." The lady reasoned.

"Oh, so you can make a cheese burger that had two white bread buns, melted cheese, and a fat yet flat patty with loads of grease embedded on the inside that is totally bad for you and you sell it off to the customers at a freakishly high price. BUT when I ask for diet water, miracle water that can lower my weight, you don't have it. I'm taking my money to some other place." Yumi lectured and cutely stormed off. She couldn't pull off the mean look for too long.

Yumi was thoroughly satisfied with her day and managed to maintain her sanity. At least she didn't rob a bank or do something so stupid that would involve the police like last time. She then felt someone tap her shoulder and she turned around to see the face of Eiji, her friend.

"Oh, hey Eiji!" Yumi grinned and playfully punched his arm.

"Nyaa, I didn't think you'd be here, Yumi-chan." Eiji smiled.

"Yeah, I had to uh…maintain my sanity…" Yumi trailed off.

"You mean like screaming 'No it's those voices again!'?" Eiji asked.

"So you were there?" Yumi tried to slide past Eiji so she can make a quick run.

"I was watching the whole time, right about when you entered Walmart, nyaa." Eiji said.

"Hehe, I totally didn't do that since like…oh my god, look, a squirrel!" Yumi pointed at a random direction. A squirrel was actually there on top of a pine tree eating a nut.

But Yumi remembered that squirrel. The little fiend was her worst enemy. She didn't like the squirrel. She remembered that _it_ would always throw its acorns at her and start cursing at her. Yes, Yumi spoke squirrel due to spending time with _it_ for so long and her sister, Airi, would translate what it was saying but now, Yumi could understand every word it would say.

The squirrel recognized Yumi and came rushing down the trees zigzagging its way to Yumi at a swift speed. It stopped right in front of her with its arms crossed. Yumi defiantly knew that it was the same squirrel that messed with her all the time; she even gave it a name.

"So we meet again…Mr. Whiskers." Yumi narrowed her eyes at the small yet rebellious looking squirrel.

"Mr. Whiskers? You named a squirrel 'Mr. Whiskers'? That's something you'd name a cat." Eiji said looking at the squirrel and Yumi back and forth.

"Oh no, Eiji, this is no ordinary squirrel. Mr. Whiskers was my partner in crime. The same squirrel that messed with me a lot of times when we did naughty things." Yumi said, concluding that she was absolutely crazy.

"Partner in crime? Nyaa??" Eiji was confused.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Whiskers and I go way back. He would help me with my deeds and help me get out of jail by stealing the keys from the guard. I could always rely on this little squirrel." Yumi glared at the squirrel. She then came closer, looking like she was about to murder it.

Mr. Whiskers also looked like he was about to tear Yumi's eyes out at the given opportunity. The both stared at each other for one good minute before Yumi leaned in and reached her hand out to the squirrel in a menacing way.

"Mr. Whiskers…" the squirrel took his hand out, too. Yumi was just a few inches away of grabbing the squirrel.

Eiji couldn't look. He thought Yumi was going to murder the little squirrel. "So how are the little squirrels doing?" She asked, hugging the acorns out of Mr. Whiskers. Mr. Whiskers started to talk back to her and Yumi understood every word of it.

"Oh yeah, that was also funny haha." Yumi actually laughed at the squirrel's possible joke.

"I'll see you later, Mr. Whiskers. I have a friend right here." Yumi pointed at Eiji. Eiji waved at it eagerly. He was shocked at first I mean anyone would be if your friend could talk to a squirrel. The squirrel replied and Yumi blushed.

"We're friends!" She argued as the squirrel scurried away into the bushes, climbing a tree, and finally gliding to the next tree. "Stupid flying squirrel…" Yumi muttered and turned back to Eiji.

"Want to walk home together?" Yumi asked. Eiji nodded in enthusiasm.

They both walk side by side down the street. Since the two were naturally social, walking in silence would be too out of character for both of them so Yumi decided that she should start off a conversation.

"Ne, Eiji, do you have a girlfriend?" She asked out of the blue. Yumi had a sudden urge to ask him the question probably due to the squirrel, Mr. Whiskers, influence.

Eiji shook his head. Yumi felt more relived and happy that he didn't have anyone but then again he could also have someone he likes.

"Then do you have a girl you like?" Yumi asked, her voice a bit shaken for the answer.

"Yep!" He said as he smiled widely.

"You can tell me, Eiji. So who's the lucky girl?" She asked. Her chest began to feel tight.

"Hmm…" Eiji looked at Yumi with his cheek painted a light tint of pink. He also had a shy smile which was kind of rare for the overactive Kikumaru Eiji.

"She's one of my friends." He said.

Yumi almost cried. _'That doesn't help at all since you have a lot of girls as your friends…'_ Yumi thought glumly. She didn't notice Eiji staring at her the whole walk home.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	27. Summer Ends: Usio

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Usio stared at the door. It was the door to her father's room. Personally, she hated the guy for one reason: He turned gay. She hated him for that because of an incident. Her mother died in some car accident caused by a drunk. _'How cliché…'_ she would always think. There were a million of ways to die yet it had to be one that was cliché.

Ever since the death of her mother, her father would go out with guys everyday. He would even come home with a guy and they would spend the night in the same room. As a child, she always thought it was kind of creepy since she heard sounds of pain in the room. She always wondered if someone was being tortured.

Usio, now grown up, still has no idea what her father and some random guy do but at least they don't torment her in the house. She would rarely eat alone because of one great factor that needed attention. Usio was an extremely horrible cook.

Yes, the all 'perfect Usio-sama' cannot cook to save her life. She can burn a grilled cheese sandwich because she forgot to take off the plastic. She puts laundry in the soup. And finally, she burnt the house down one time when she was 'experimenting' with her cooking skills.

Luckily, Usio can make microwavable foods or something as simple as instant ramen. Yet it would barely give her the nutritional values that she needed so she would always go to Airi's house to eat or some fast food restaurant.

Usio was sitting alone at the table, staring at the chair her father would sit on. As the time ticked away, she waited. She kept looking at the chair, never moving. Usio sighed when she knew that her father wouldn't come tonight so she's going to get fast food.

Usio grabbed her sketch pad, pencil, and a few bucks for dinner. She set out to go eat and went into the new, popular burger joint down the street from her house. The only good part about going out to eat is that Usio can get inspiration from people when she sketches. It sort of grew as a habit to her.

When she finally got into the restaurant, she sat at a far corner so she could observe everyone. She had already ordered a cheese burger, medium fries, and a vanilla shake. While waiting for her order, she paused and scanned the room carefully. She saw one guy eating his hamburger happily like an idiot she knows.

'_He can't be here; this is the moron I'm talking about…'_ Usio thought as she absentmindedly sketched Momo in her drawing. She blushed and crumpled up the paper.

'_Stop thinking about that idiot now!'_ She tried to command herself.

Usio couldn't stop making small picture of Momo. If she started to draw a girl, Momo would be in the background or on the side somewhere. _'Die!'_ Usio threw the papers into the trashcan.

"I didn't know you would be here. You're even killing the environment." Momo grinned.

"And you're killing me…" Usio mumbled grumpily.

"What was that?" Momo asked, sitting on the same table Usio was.

"Nothing you should worry about. Since your small burger sized brain can't handle it." Usio remarked, smirking a bit.

"My brain is not small burger sized!" Momo argued. His face a bit flushed.

"How would you know? You practically inhale burgers so much that ketchup is your blood." Usio said. She wanted to let off some steam and Momo was the perfect guy since they could keep arguing and she will be satisfied after it all.

"Your face is blocking my view." Usio said.

"You should be a little nicer to me since I'm your upperclassman." Momo said, crossing his arms.

"I love you?" Usio said, emotionlessly.

"That's not what I meant." Momo said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Stand still." Usio suddenly said. Momo raised his brow but stood still as commanded.

The stillness was killing him. He was always the type to move around even if it's just his fingers. And what was Usio doing anyway? Was she sketching him? _'What is she doing…?'_ Momo thought to himself. He was almost dying from the partial silence.

"You can move now." She said.

"What did you draw?" Momo asked.

"Something…" Usio simply replied.

"And that is…?" Momo asked, eager to know.

"Not you." She simply replied.

"Then what am I standing still for!?" Momo asked, angry.

"So I can have some quiet." Usio smirked a bit.

"Why you! If you weren't a girl I would've attacked you like I do to Viper!" Momo huffed.

"I'm not showing you." Usio stuck her tongue out just to piss Momo off. Momo's face was red with anger.

"I think I'll go, since I'm bored." Usio got up and walked out.

Momo smirked when he thought of a payback. "Hey Usio…" Momo called out.

Usio turned around. "Don't call my name as if we are close…" Usio stopped and blinked at what Momo was holding. Momo was holding one page full of mini Momo sketches. Each Momo had a different pose and were in different places. The piece of paper was a cartoon.

"Give it back…" Usio said, weakly. Her face was a bit red in embarrassment.

"On one condition, just one," Momo grinned, "Burger contest. I'll pay." Momo said.

Usio looked at the floor to hide her toothy grin. She was so hungry and her last order did not fill her up. She was going to suck Momo dry of his pocket money. She changed her face back into an emotionless state and looked at him.

"All right." She replied, sitting back down.

Momo was going to pay, literally. They were both handed two different trays of 14 cheeseburgers, 6 large fries, and 2 large sodas. Momo was sitting across from Usio, grinning. He thinking he was going to win. Usio, on the other hand, was smiling on the inside yet on the outside she had a poker face.

"Go!" Momo said, ripping off the wrapper from his first hamburger. Usio started with her fries.

She was eating each fry carefully chewing each one until it turned into mash potato in her mouth. She knew what would happen if a person ate chunks of food instead of small portions. She was waiting until Momo would break down.

Momo was eating everything. It was as if he was practically inhaling the food like it was air. Yet after a while Momo felt full and he had eaten 10 cheeseburgers already. He saw that Usio had finished her fries and ate 4 hamburgers. 'This girl has a big stomach…' he thought, taking more bites from his burger.

After a couple of minutes, Momo couldn't eat his last burger or last two fries. Usio, on the other hand, finished her meal and clasped her hands together. "Thank you for the meal." She said, smirking a bit.

"How can you…eat so much…?" Momo could barley talk.

"You're such an idiot. Tell me, if you put just a bunch of random blocks in a box, the box would fill up quicker but if you put in sand, it takes up all of the space. You ate your burger in big chunks, leaving some space in your stomach but filling it up. I ate my food carefully until it was mushy and soft, filling up my stomach slower." Usio explained. "I win, give me my pictures." Usio said while taking the piece of paper from Momo's ketchup stained hands.

"Is that anyway to treat your upperclassman?" Momo asked.

"That's why you are a complete idiot. I sit in the back. And I'm in the same classroom." Usio said.

Momo's jaw dropped. He was sure that she was younger than him. He was sure that she reminded him of Kaido or Ryoma sometimes but he never knew she was the same age much less in the same class.

"Well, thanks for the meal." Usio kissed Momo on the nose and left. Momo's cheeks flared a dark red color.

"Um, you have to pay right?" One of the employees left the bill on the table.

Momo looked at the bill and dropped his mouth. They ate so much that he would have to work there for a while. Momo did not want to waste the rest of his precious summer vacation paying off a debt. Momo rushed out of the restaurant and called out to Usio.

"Wait, come back! Split the bill 50-50!?" Momo chased Usio.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	28. Summer Ends: Natsume

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Natsume was at Kawamura Sushi once again. She had grown quite attached to that place. She worked everyday. She looked forward to working with a certain lad that was the same age.

She saw him working on making some sushi. She thought he does a pretty good job at it too since she would sneak a couple of samples and eat them. She felt bad so she would secretly make some more and put them back. She didn't think she was good but she thought Kawamura's cooking was amazing.

As Natsume was cleaning the tables, she was oblivious to Kawamura's stares. Kawamura's father noticed this and patted his son on the back. "Takashi, you're finally taking a liking to girls." He said to his son.

Kawamura rubbed the back of his head and slightly blushed. "Ano…it's not what you think…" Kawamura said sheepishly.

"Yamada-kun, my son has taken a liking to you!" Kawamura's father said.

Natsume smiled. "Ah, I like Taka-san as well." Natsume said. She then got back to work.

Kawamura blushed more and turned away. Kawamura's father put his arm around his son's shoulders encouragingly. "Don't worry, son, she likes you back." He gave Kawamura thumbs up.

"Dad…" Kawamura's face was a bit red.

"That's enough work for today, Yamada-kun!"

"Ah, thank you." Natsume then put her cloth away and headed out the door.

Kawamura quickly put his stuff away and then followed Natsume. He always wondered why she went to that old man and would even spend some of her money to feed one more person. He found out that Natsume has two parents, a younger brother, and an older brother.

It wasn't like he was stalking her. He would only listen in on the conversation (or more like arguments) between the old man and Natsume. He wondered why Natsume would go so far to help an old man locked up.

If it was Kawamura, he would have already gotten him out b calling the police or something. But Natsume respected the man's wishes and allowed him to stay there. She even went through the trouble of feeding him everyday.

Kawamura heard many rumors about Natsume. They all said that she was a wild Yankee working for the Yakuza and would kill many people. Kawamura was a bit scared when she entered his shop. He didn't believe in rumors and tried not to spread them but Natsume was different. At school, she wasn't much of a talker and didn't really do much. She also cursed a lot more than your average student.

But she was really nice and he never even seen her beat up anyone at all. He was beginning to think that all of those rumors are just a fluke. After all, Natsume was very kind and polite when they were in his shop. The only time Kawamura actually saw her mad was when she was arguing with that trapped old man.

"Just eat the cheese biscuits, you know you want to." Natsume said, handing the box to the old guy.

"No, I hate cheese!" He said stubbornly.

"You hate everything." Natsume stated.

"No, I just hate cheese. I want my jalapeno sauce." He said.

"That's too spicy and we're not in México." Natsume said.

"What's México? I know there's a place called Mexico but México?"

"Mexico and México are the same. México just has an accent added to it." Natsume explained.

"You sure? México sounds like an Indian song. Way-ho Mé-hi-co. Way-ho Mé-hi-co!" the old man sang.

"My ears! Don't sing! And it's not Indian it's Spanish!" Natsume corrected.

"I didn't finish school, can you blame me?" The old man said, secretly eating the cheese biscuits.

"I thought you didn't like cheese." Natsume said, narrowing her sharp eyes.

"I may have said that. Shoot, I say a lot of things." The old man said, still eating his cheese biscuits.

Kawamura felt like laughing at how ridiculous the conversation was. He knew now that Natsume was completely harmless and the rumors were just rumors though he did wonder about them sometimes since Natsume can glare at someone when she wants to. And learning how to glare comes from fighting or challenging someone.

"What are you doing here, Taka-san?" Natsume asked, suddenly right in front of him.

"E-Eh? Yamada-san?" Kawamura said, startled.

"I know you have been following me for the past few days. Did you need something?" Natsume asked.

"No, I don't need anything." Kawamura said. Natsume nodded, understanding what he meant.

"So you wanted to know about the rumors huh?" Natsume asked. "It's alright if you do. It's not like my life is a secret." Natsume said.

"But…" Kawamura began.

"Don't worry. You're not rude or invading my privacy or whatever. You see, I really was a Yankee…" Natsume began.

_~Flashback~_

Natsume was a rebellious child. She didn't like her parents because they always controlled every aspect of her life. She also didn't like her brother either because her parents would supposedly shower them with a different type of affection.

Since she felt so unloved by her parents, every night Natsume would be roaming the streets until a group from a gang went under Natsume's skin and pissed her off.

"What's a 'lil brat doing in the streets? Go home and cry to yer mommy." One gang member said.

"Brat?" Natsume repeated.

"Yes, a little kid who is obnoxious and rowdy." One explained.

"I'll show you just how bratty I can be then." Natsume smiled weirdly. She then chuckled darkly.

The gang members were a bit weird out. They shook their heads and began to leave but Natsume hit one of them with a nearby pole.

"That hurt like hell!" One growled. The gang member picked up a thick branch and flourished it at Natsume. Natsume dodged the deadly blow and attacked them all. They were lying on the floor, unconscious.

Natsume spit in their direction and walked away. She was stopped however by someone.

"Hey, what's yer name?" A tall girl asked. She was wearing a flu mask and had Yankee type clothes.

"Yamada Natsume." Natsume simply replied.

"Join our group. You can become stronger than that." She said.

'_I can become stronger than that? I don't want that but I guess I'll join, just for the heck of it.'_ Natsume nodded at the Yankee's request.

**-One Year Later-**

Natsume now was a renowned Yankee known to kill people. She was nicknamed Scarlet Butterfly for her bloody battles, fast attacks, and red colored hair.

One night, Natsume got into a big fight, one that would send her to the hospital. Everyone from a different gang showed up. Each person was throwing dirt blows and blood was all over the streets, walls, and poles.

Natsume had a pole with dried blood, due to using it so many times. Natsume was fast. She hit everyone in her way a big pang on the head, knocking them unconscious. Sometimes they would bleed all over the floor.

Natsume was so disappointed when the battle was over. She was the only one standing and everyone else was just lying on the floor, half-dead in Natsume's opinion.

'_None of you are strong enough to hit me hard in the head. So hard that I would lose my all of memories…'_ Natsume dropped her pole and silently prayed for each of their safety even her enemies.

It was a thing she always did. Whenever she made someone cry or mad or destroyed the person physically or mentally, she would force herself to watch. Natsume hated her life and she hated destroying someone else's.

After Natsume finished praying, someone hit her head as hard as they could with a iron pole and knocked her out instantly.

**-Hospital-**

Natsume tried to get up but her whole body was sore from overuse. Her head was pounding hard and her eyes were stinging. She tried to get up and successfully did. She was now in a sitting position when someone spoke up.

"U-Um…the nurse said you s-shouldn't get up." A shy, small voice said to Natsume. It was a girl around her age. She remembered the black hair and black eyes anywhere. It was her next door neighbor, Amane.

"Who took me here?" Natsume hated hospitals, mainly because they reek of blood and death.

Amane played with the hem of her skirt and slightly blushed. "I-It was m-me." She said in a quiet voice.

Natsume had no grudge against this girl. She was too nice and loveable to hate. And besides, Natsume wanted to have the life of this girl. Amane, even though she doesn't have parents, she has a wonderful older brother.

"Y-You're so lucky to have a full family, Y-Yamada-san. B-But you seem so sad. And everyone ignores you." Amane said.

"Because everyone is afraid of me." Natsume replied.

"I-I'm not afraid." Amane said.

"Why are you stuttering then?" Natsume asked.

"I-I don't t-talk much a-and I'm k-kind of shy…" Amane blushed. Natsume smiled. The girl wasn't so bad after all.

_~End of Flashback~_

"Amane was my first friend. So I kind of quit the Yankee business for her. Does that satisfy our curiosity?" Natsume asked. Kawamura just stood there with a bit of sympathy in his eyes.

"What's with that look of pity!?" Natsume blushed and started to run away.

"Eh, I'm sorry!" Kawamura said, chasing after Natsume.

"Don't follow me!" Natsume ordered. She was still red with embarrassment. The only other person who did that was Amane. Yet when Kawamura did it, she felt a little happy. She also had a fluttery feeling in her stomach. Natsume misunderstood the nice feeling as fear.

"W-Wait, I'm sorry!" Kawamura repeated. He wondered about the sleepover when Yumi said Natsume was out to get him but now it feels different. He got a warm feeling when listening to Natsume talk about her story. Maybe it was because she was the only girl who didn't get to freaked out when she saw his 'burning' mode.

Maybe it was something else…

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	29. Summer Ends: Sakamoto

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Sakamoto was fascinated with the cite of fanfiction(dot)net. It told her lots of interesting data on her own teammates though she stopped going there because Emi and Katou threatened they wouldn't be best friends anymore thus she doesn't attempt to locate the author and try to destroy her (phew…).

Sakamoto was figuring out formulas and strategies for the planned field trip. After summer there would be exams and then a field trip to the mountains for both of the tennis teams. Sakamoto was trying to figure out how she can have an entertaining time and help make each relationship grow.

She was also trying hard to forget the possibility that Inui would like someone. She wondered about it countless times. Maybe it would be a girl that was beautiful like Usio, shy like Amane, or even as wild as Yumi. The possibilities were endless.

Sakamoto did not like the idea of Inui liking someone else because she already knew from the moment her heart sped up faster when she saw him for the first time; she had already fallen in love with him. That's why she didn't want any other girl in the picture.

'_There is no way I could have missed anything. I know his movements and how he reacts to different people for different things so why? Who is this girl that caught his eye?'_ Sakamoto questioned.

'_And why can't he tell me? Is the girl so important that he has to keep it from me, his best friend? Well… it would make sense since I would absolutely try my best to get the two together but my will to help is lower than my will to sabotage…' _Sakamoto grimaced at the thought.

Sakamoto shook her head and focused more on the field trip. She wanted to make sure that she would be able to entertain herself the whole trip. So Sakamoto began working on a few inventions until a certain data man came to visit her.

As soon as Sakamoto heard the bell ring, she snapped her fingers. In a matter of seconds, the robot maid was waiting for further instructions from her master. "Open the door and let him in." Sakamoto said.

She already knew the data man would visit her since she has a camera in the doorway and a TV connected to the camera was in her room where she was planning/inventing stuff. When he entered, she had already been drinking her tea.

"Good evening, Inui." She said formally.

"Good evening, Miharu." He said, taking out his notebook.

"Should we talk about our team's growing relationships?" Sakamoto asked.

"Hmm, they've made progress over the summer." Inui said.

"Yes, but some of them are a little slow like Yumi and Eiji pair. Eiji seems to have small sparks and Yumi likes Eiji but she's a bit dense." Sakamoto explained.

"That's right." Inui agreed, jotting some notes in his notebook.

"…and I also noticed that we are the only two who don't have a pair…" Sakamoto added.

There was an awkward silence between the two. This has never ever happened before. Sure there were times when they were silent but it was comfortable not like how it is right now. They were both tense. Sakamoto decided to speak first.

"But you have someone you like, ne? Why don't you tell me and I'll help bring you two together." Sakamoto business smiled. She was trying hard not to torture Inui for the answer.

"That's impossible…" Inui muttered under his breath. _'After all, the girl is you…'_ He silently added in his head.

Inui Sadaharu, the data man, is in love with his best friend, Miharu Sakamoto. He had been ever since he first met her. A mutual love yet still unknown due to either their density or unwillingness to accept the fact might be true. Either way, it might take a while for these two to get together.

"Really? How about you tell me and then I'll figure out if it's impossible." Sakamoto persisted, clutching her pencil tightly.

"No." He said.

"Inui." Sakamoto managed to say, through slightly clenched teeth.

"No." Inui stated, more sternly.

Sakamoto popped at that moment. She got up and shoved Inui against the wall. Inui, shocked by the sudden push, dropped his glasses. Sakamoto could clearly see his slightly shocked green eyes. Sakamoto smiled sadistically and pressed herself against Inui.

"Tell. Me. Now." She emphasized, making her point more clear.

Inui could see the dangerous look in her eyes and grew scared. Inui cleared his throat. "No." He answered back. Sakamoto's smile grew scarier. She pressed her lips against Inui's. The kiss was sloppy yet passionate.

A new serge of emotions ignited in both Inui and Sakamoto. Sakamoto was glad for watching and reading all of those romance novels, movies, and fanfics for almost the whole summer. She knew exactly how to kiss the right way. Sakamoto tilted her head to deepen the kiss. She felt all nice and fluttery from the kiss.

Inui, obviously shocked and confused, just stood there. He was trying to take it all in. In all of his data experiences about love and dating, it never applied to him, mainly because he was too into tennis and data. Sakamoto kissing Inui was a great shock. Yet he was feeling a new sensation in his body. He felt comfortable and happy.

Sakamoto stopped kissing Inui and smirked. Yes, she smirked. Sakamoto _**never**_ smirks and that means something is up. "M-Miharu…" Inui _**stuttered**_ for the first time in probably his whole life.

"You're so mean, Sadaharu. I asked for who you like. I'm your best friend right? When did you become so naughty and stop telling me things? I guess I'll have to torture you until it comes out." Sakamoto chuckled. Inui shivered. Was Sakamoto that serious?

She threw in another kiss only this time is was more neat yet deeper. Sakamoto absolutely loved Inui's flustered face and Inui not having his glasses on was another boost. Inui was naturally handsome and he looked hot without his glasses but due to his sucky vision, he had to lock away his good looks behind his dorky glasses. Sakamoto didn't mind his nerdy glasses. She found it rather cute.

Inui tried to stop kissing Sakamoto because technically she is kind of raping Inui. Inui broke the kiss and turned away, his face still flustered. Sakamoto was angry.

"Why did you turn away, Sadaharu? Look at me." She commanded. Sakamoto cupped both of his cheeks and kissed him again.

And again.

And again.

And AGAIN!

There was no way Inui was going to leave any time soon. His heart was pounding and he felt as if he could die from just a kiss, a kiss from his best friend. Then he remembered.

Sakamoto is his best friend.

"Miharu, we're friends, best friends." Inui said through gasps.

"In America, best friends kiss each other." Sakamoto said.

"It's on the cheek!" Inui said, blushing.

"It's still a contact from skin to skin, like a handshake." Sakamoto said, reverting back to her business smile.

"A handshake and a kiss on the cheek hold an entirely different meaning from a kiss on the lips." Inui said, trying to escape.

Sakamoto pressed harder. "You're not escaping, Sadaharu. I won't let you go until the morning so I can fully humiliate you." Sakamoto chuckled sadistically.

Inui's mouth and eyes were wide with shock. Sakamoto was scary when she was serious.

**-Next Morning-**

Inui had finally got out of Sakamoto's underground mansion. He was in a daze. His hair was even more messed up than usual, his glasses were slightly off, and his shirt was half tucked in. He staggered as he walked. He could not believe he just kissed his best friend and stayed there **all** night making out with her.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto was in her mansion, cursing at herself.

"What the F*ck did I just do to my best friend!? I kissed him! And kept him here _**all**_ night and made out with him! I'm so screwed!" Sakamoto felt guilty.

Only when she was alone or with someone she trusts can she show her emotions. "Ah…I can't be friends with Inui anymore…our friendship is screwed up…and gone…" Sakamoto was laid out on the bed, wallowing in self-pity.

'_How am I supposed to fix this…?' _She asked to no one in particular.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^ **


	30. Summer Ends: Katou

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Katou was all happy and giddy until she received an e-mail from her best friend, Miharu Sakamoto. She was shocked to learn that her best friend already gave away her first kiss. Katou e-mailed her back and demanded to know who the lucky guy was. Sakamoto replied and said that she didn't want to talk about it. Katou knew there must have been something bad going on or else her friend's e-mail would sound so depressing.

Katou was still thinking about the e-mail Sakamoto sent her. Sakamoto had told Katou brief details about how she kissed her best friend, Inui. Katou knew Inui. She thought he was pretty cool but defiantly not the type of guy you'd see in a romance novel and if he was, he'd probably be the scientist that aids the heroine or hero.

But it still left a deep impression on Katou. She knew that Inui and Sakamoto are best friends. She wondered if their friendship would end. It terrified Katou since she too had a best friend. Katou loves Tezuka but she herself doesn't know it. Yet she always wanted to kiss him. When they were little kids, Katou would kiss Tezuka multiple times yet Tezuka would silently push her away until she wouldn't even kiss him on the cheek.

Katou wondered about the deal about kissing. She wouldn't do it with anyone. She would even give Emi or Sakamoto her first kiss and not even care but Katou had developed sparks for Tezuka. She didn't notice it until the end of summer but she always wants to hear his voice, hug him lovingly, and kiss him. But due to Sakamoto's e-mail, Katou was scared.

What if she did kiss him? Would their friendship end? Would they never talk? Would all those years of friendship be for nothing?

More critical questions plagued young Katou's mind. She didn't know how to deal with these overwhelming emotions. It was like trying to teach a child about politics.

It was pointless.

Katou thought about distancing herself from Tezuka, just for a while or maybe until the annoying feeling goes away. She wanted to stay by his side even if he only thought about her as a friend.

She knew those feelings very well. Ever since she was a child, she would cling on to Tezuka lovingly but not as in being with him for every second of his life and manipulating his time. No, it was more like whenever she got the chance, she would pounce on his and hug him letting all the happy, fluttery feelings come out.

Now, Katou would partially lock up those feelings and act as a good friend, close but not too close. It pained her inside. She wondered how Tezuka did it. She wondered how he could remain so stoically perfect. But then she saw his small flaw. He may have been able to not show his feelings through body language but Katou could tell what he's thinking through his eyes.

His perfect dark brown eyes told her stories, mainly everything she needed to know about how Tezuka was feeling. Though there were times when she couldn't make out what he was thinking. Like when he randomly just glares at guys or when his gaze suddenly turns soft and loving for some of things she says. It was all too puzzling.

"Katou, Kuni-kun has come to visit you!" Her mother shouted out.

Katou suddenly stood up and pounced off her bed and quickly went out the door. Katou rushed down to the stairs. She jumped down the steps and there Tezuka was, right at the bottom as if he was waiting for her.

Tezuka knew she would do something like this so when she was about to crash into him, Tezuka spread his arms out to catch Katou. Tezuka successfully catches Katou, making a small thud sound on impact as they fell to the floor.

Technically, they were hugging. Katou loved the warmth of Tezuka's strong arms around her. She inhaled his scent. He smelled like lemons, fresh and clean. Katou missed hugging him. Tezuka, on the other hand, liked hugging Katou. It made him remember that Katou was a small, frail girl too. Tezuka was intoxicated by Katou's smell, she smelled like watermelons. He gently stroked her hair, a habit that happens many times when it was just them.

"Oh, Kuni-nee-san, Katou-onee-chan, I didn't know you two are a mommy and daddy!" Katou's little sister, Ai, said out loud.

The two both stiffened. They suddenly realized that their behavior was inappropriate for two best friends. Katou's heart rate was accelerating and Tezuka was having a warm, happy feeling. Katou's cheeks then were red. She was flustered and confused.

'_Why am I red? I don't have a fever right?'_ She asked herself. Katou calmed herself down and locked the feeling away. Tezuka did the same. The both stood up but each had different auras. Tezuka was standing there stoically as he usually is. Katou was feeling uneasy and she knew that Tezuka was feeling awkward despite his outward appearance. She decided to play stupid.

"Kunimitsu, you're here!" She said happily. She acted her normal self when he was around and there was a crowd of people but in this case it was only Katou's sister. She was confused when his eyes turned a bit tense and sad. She wondered if she had said something wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their friendship.

"I'm here." He said, his eyes smiling for him.

Katou then turned her attention to her younger sibling, Ai. She wondered what Ai meant about Tezuka and Katou being a mommy and a daddy. "Ai, Why are Kunimitsu and I 'mommy and daddy'?" She asked, clueless.

"Eh, I thought you were. Kuni-nee-san and you always have a happy, lovey-dovey au…awra around you two just like a mommy and daddy!" Ai explained.

Katou stared blankly at Ai. Katou never knew that she was dense. Sakamoto had proven that love muscles exist in a section of your brain. When Sakamoto checked Katou's 'love muscles', she told Katou that her love muscles were denying that they were love muscles at all. Katou never understood what that meant.

Love was a topic that Katou never understood. Love was a topic that Tezuka never bothered to worry about. Both didn't have a clue what it meant to be in love yet when they are together and alone, emotions begin to slightly pour out. Neither of the two knew that they had already been acting like a couple.

"Ai, I think mommy is calling you." Katou said.

"Eh, I didn't hear anything." Ai replied.

"That's because she used telepathy and told me to send the message to you because she can't send you a message." Katou said.

"Oh, okay!" Ai smiled and skipped towards the kitchen.

Katou turned around to see the ever perfect Tezuka Kunimitsu. She knew that every fan girl would literally massacre an entire city just to be in Katou's position. She knew and that's what scared her. Tezuka had a million fans and if he tried, he could get any girl he wanted.

Tezuka was thinking as well. Katou, despite her tomboyish and childish personality, was a wonderful person to be around. He knew she had a huge appetite, dense in love, and would fail school unless she was given food as a reward. He knew that she had a pure, untouched mind and he knew that there were many people wanting to destroy it. So he became something like her guardian. He was always there, guarding her and making sure no one would get close. But now he knew that he had just fallen in love with his best friend, a forbidden fruit.

You don't fall in love with your best friend because it's like eating a forbidden fruit. Everything you worked hard for, from a little seed to a giant tree bearing fruit. When the fruit is finally ripe, you can't take it out because you fear it might rotten from your touch. And just like Adam and Eve, when you bite from the fruit, you're sent away from the garden meaning the friendship is over.

Katou did not want to take the risk. She loved Tezuka far too much to let the emotion called love break the friendship and ruin it all. She wanted nothing more than to stay by his side, no matter how painful that may be. She, however, was naïve to think that Tezuka had no chance of loving her. But it was impossible for either one of them to find out. Katou is dense so she doesn't notice the signs. Tezuka is a private kind of guy that can restrain himself for years.

It was too sad to think that a couple who mutually loved each other couldn't be together because of their restrictions.

After the moments of silence and intense thinking, Katou looked up at Tezuka and smiled. "Ne, we better go to the amusement park soon or else it will close!" Katou playfully complained. Tezuka nodded, letting his warm feeling flow throughout his body just for this moment.

**~After the "Date"~**

Katou ate way too much food and almost threw up at the rides. She vowed to eat side snacks after every ride instead of a full meal but overall, she had a great time. Usually Tezuka would be checking his homework over and over again but Katou would always ask just for maybe an hour of his time so he could relax or loosen up. Despite her efforts, Tezuka never seemed to 'loosen up' but he does relax a little sometimes.

Katou laid down on her bed looking out her window where she had a clear view of the starry sky. _'There are a lot of brightly shining stars.'_ Katou smiled as the stars twinkled back as if they were smiling to her.

Katou then saw a shooting star pass by. She jumped out of her bed so she could see the last of it but it was gone too fast. Katou smiled weakly and made her wish.

'_I wish…'_

And the rest is just kept secret for that one night when Katou realized she was in love with her best friend.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: I'm wondering if anyone would like to guess what Katou-chan wished for. Does anyone know? Hope all you like it. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	31. Summer Ends: Sakuno

**A/N: You know, I'm thinking of rewriting my stories just like I did with this one. Hmm, I'll do that later (probably in the summer approx. sometime after June 15th) so get ready to be rocked out of your socks when I do rewrite them! Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Sakuno had been working herself a lot through the summer. Everyday, she would practice by herself and improve on her stance, shots, and power. She was always behind but now she was taking every chance she got to improve.

She didn't want to rely on her upperclassmen any longer and she defiantly hated losing every match and having her seniors cover up for her. She didn't like it. So she pulled up her own weight and trained. She would do laps around the neighborhood, eat healthier foods, and perfect her shots.

Sakuno also would remember her time with Ryoma at the park. Whenever she thought about him, she would unconsciously blush and be in a daze for quite a while. _'No, I am strong. I want to beat Roma-kun so he can notice me. After all the only thing in his mind is tennis so if I beat him in tennis then I'll be in his mind!' _Sakuno thought with sheer determination.

Sakuno was at the park alone. She was training because after summer, she would have to go back to school and then there was the matter of the nationals. She defiantly did not want to fall behind and lose, again. This is what Sakuno wanted – to win.

Ponies, cute clothes, and thinking about her crush were a couple of things she might have wanted to change. She wanted to have a pony (because they were cute), cute clothes (Because they were cute as well), and her crush (because she wanted him to notice her).

Sakuno greatly improved with all her training and practice. She was thoroughly satisfied with her progress. She felt as if she could sing and dance in happiness but then again it would be too embarrassing even if it was just herself.

"You seem so happy, Ryuzaki." A short answer came by a familiar voice.

Sakuno stopped hitting the ball in the same spot and turned around. She saw her good friend, Ryoma. Sakuno's face was mixed with happiness and shock. She didn't know the prince would come to a park to practice. Well she knows that people would practice in parks but what were the chances of your crush and yourself in the same park?

"R-Ryoma-kun?" Came her reply.

"Hn." He replied, bored.

"U-Um, what are you doing here?" Sakuno asked. She already knew that he was going to play tennis but it was only a delay so she can know what to ask next.

"Playing tennis." He replied.

"By yourself?" She asked.

"I don't have anyone to play against." He replied which sort of hurt Sakuno a bit since she was standing right in front of him as another tennis player.

This only made Sakuno mad because she wanted him to think that she was an equal. Sakuno stood up straight, took a deep breath, and mustered up her courage. "R-Ryoma-kun, play against me!" She requested a bit stiffly.

Ryoma raised an eyebrow but then he shrugged. "Hn." He replied, taking his racket and headed towards one side of the court.

Sakuno was still not satisfied with his indifferent attitude. She hated that he was always bored when anyone was around him. She felt as if, in his eyes, she was just like everyone else. She felt as if she was a nobody to this boy.

She didn't want to be a nobody. She wanted to be a somebody to him. Maybe if she played tennis it will bring her one step closer to finding out the paradox that is named Echizen Ryoma.

"Which?" Ryoma asked.

"You serve." Sakuno said.

"Okay." Ryoma was a bit puzzled.

Sakuno was letting him serve on purpose. She wanted to see if he would do a twist serve. She awaited his movements. She carefully watched his stance. He wouldn't be doing a twist serve because he didn't do the right stance for it and his grip was different. Sakuno, obviously mad at this insult, returned the ball so forcefully that the ball hit the fence and stayed there.

Yeah, she has been improving a lot and she wanted to keep going. Ryoma looked at the ball on the fence and he smiled. His smile was full of drive and determination.

"Heh, you've improved." Ryoma complimented. His eyes were flared with excitement.

Sakuno's heart raced accordingly to his smile. She too can feel his excitement. After all she was excited as well. Ryoma served again with great accuracy and hit the ball towards the corner. Sakuno ran to the ball to catch it but missed her grasp.

Ryoma is a prince of tennis so he's always improving. Sakuno is the same. She is a princess of tennis and she also is gaining progress.

The match seemed to drag on for a couple of hours. They didn't notice the sun sinking in as the last of its orange glow and paint the skies. Even when the wind changed directions or when it got less noisy throughout the park, they didn't stop the match.

They were both having too much fun letting their adrenaline soar with much needed motivation. But Sakuno, not training as long as Ryoma has, didn't have much endurance compared to Ryoma so when he legs wanted to stop, they gave out.

Sakuno tried to reach for the ball but she fell on the hard concrete floor of the tennis courts. Her legs were numb and she could get up. She had played for too long and overworked herself in the intense match. She was sad that she didn't get to play much since she won only two games and almost three.

Sakuno pouted with a sad expression displayed on her petite face. Ryoma forgot that Sakuno didn't have enough training and sighed. She still had a ways to go. Ryoma walked by her side.

"Are you okay, Ryuzaki?" Ryoma asked. Sakuno looked up to him and nodded, letting her cheeks become stained with the color of hot pink.

"Yes, I'm alright." She managed to say without stuttering.

Ryoma nodded and picked Sakuno up, bridal style. He then began walking out of the park indifferently while ignoring the stares form other people. Sakuno was feeling extremely self conscious and the people who were staring at her did not help the situation any better.

"R-Ryoma-kun, I-I can w-walk n-n-now." Sakuno said, practically trying to hide her embarrassed face.

Ryoma shook his head in disagreement. "Your legs are numb." He clarified, hoping that she would just be thankful and stay quiet. It worked. Sakuno stayed quiet because she knew that he wasn't thinking of her in that way.

Sakuno tried to start a conversation but then she would always be shot down when Ryoma would say that she is talking too much. So the two went over to Sakuno's house in silence most of the way. The only sound you could actually hear are the cars passing by. And soon it would be night.

The only light shining upon these two was the moonlight and the twinkling stars. Sakuno stared at the sky in admiration. She had just missed the beautiful sunset because she was too preoccupied with Ryoma carrying her. Now that she was slightly used to the position and situation she was in, Sakuno could freely gaze at the stars yet she would glance back at the boy occasionally.

Ryoma wondered why Sakuno would take a quick glance at him and then to the sky. Was she telling him to look at the sky in a subtle way? Ryoma shook the thought away and just looked at the sky. He stopped for a moment.

There were millions of stars glowing and shining under the moonlight. Even the navy blue skies highlighted the beauty of the glittering stars and the blooming radiance of the moon. Ryoma slightly smiled as he saw a shooting star pass the sky. Sakuno made a wish, a wish that would be kept secret and known only to her.

That is until it comes true.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	32. Trip to the Mountains

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Students in their uniforms were swarming through the gates of Seigaku. Summer is over and they had to go back to school. Most of them were unwilling yet a few people might have liked to come back. Like the gang of Seigaku's regular girls from the tennis club and the boys' team as well.

Sakuno was silently walking next to her best friend, Tomoka. Tomoka was obviously talking about how hot Ryoma is and how they are going to cheer for him at practice. Sakuno refused because she had practice as well.

Yumi and Airi arrived at the same time because they are sisters. They were both talking about animals, mainly cats because of Yumi's preference. Yumi also humped on Natsume when she saw her walking alone. Amane was also right next to her pleading for Yumi to give Natsume some air.

Usio arrived with Emi because they met along the way. Usio was drawing like she usually does and Emi would take small glances and compliment Usio's professional-like drawings.

Sakamoto and Katou arrived at school together because Katou went to Sakamoto's house and was about to go to Emi's but she wasn't there when Katou and Sakamoto went to go fetch her. So they both went to school without walking with their third best friend.

The girls all saw each other at the gate. Tomoka, obviously the loudest, just had to start talking to the female regulars because of their popularity compared with the boys' team.

"Oh my gosh! It's Momoko Katou, the captain of the girls' team and Fujimoto Emi, the vice captain!" Tomoka squealed as she pointed to each regular while stated their name, position, and tennis style.

"Tomo-chan, since when were you an expert?" Sakuno asked.

"Well duh! This is common knowledge for tennis fans. When you joined the team I just had to know if there was anything special about them. It turns out that they all won second place in the co-ed nationals and the girls' nationals!" Tomoka stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

Sakuno gaped like a fish. She had no idea that the team went that far though it was kind of sad that they only had second place. Then Sakuno had a question about Tomoka's statement. "Wait…there's a co-ed nationals?" Sakuno asked.

"Yes, the co-ed nationals are held once every 4 years. It was created so both boys and girls who are strong will be able to enter and the team who wins gets a special trophy that's different from just a strict only boy or girl's normal national tournament. Luckily, this year, is when it is held. The board decided to have it held this year again because last year's was a disappointment because it ended so quickly. Now that there have been rumors going around where there are stronger players, they decided to have it held again so they wouldn't miss the chance." Sakamoto spoke up.

"So…when does it start?" Sakuno asked.

"I'll tell you later." Sakamoto said, walking away.

"That's odd. Usually Sakamoto would be in full detail on everything." Natsume said, looking to Sakamoto's direction as she walked away.

"That's because…Sakamoto had some sort of…bad moment during the summer…" Katou chose her words carefully since she knew but couldn't exactly tell. Emi immediately understood what Katou meant and Sakamoto's unusual behavior.

"Well, let's hurry or else we'll be late." Emi pointed out. The other girls checked any sort of source for time (Mainly the big clock in front of school) and dispersed. Katou and Emi were the only ones standing in front of the gate.

"Think we should call another GNO?" Katou asked.

"No, there will be the field trip, remember?" Emi said. The two then both walked to their classrooms.

--

After school was over and practice resumed, Katou had to make the big announcement. Of course it was about the mountain training field trip. The field trip was meant for training and they will be staying at some hotel in the mountains. Of course they will have separate rooms as well as separate floors.

Katou called for all of the regulars since they will be the only ones to participate this time. As soon as each regular was lined up in a straight line, Katou would speak.

"Alright, next week after exams, we will be going on a field trip to the mountains. The boys' team will also be there but don't get any funny ideas…Yumi…" Katou stared a Yumi. Yumi was whistling suspiciously.

"Sakamoto…" Katou glared at Sakamoto. Sakamoto was chuckling evilly while writing in her purple notebook which means she's up to something.

Katou sighed, knowing that she couldn't stop them too much. "Anyway, we're there to train and ready ourselves for the nationals." Katou said. "Dismissed."

The other girls nodded and headed out. Katou sighed again; she was starting to feel like Tezuka when Momo and Kaido were bickering. She knew that some of the girls (mainly Yumi, Sakamoto, and maybe Emi) would do something funny while on the trip.

'_I should pray to God or Buddha or some sort of divine being that could conjure up miracles…now I sound like Sakamoto…'_ Katou scratched the back of her head and stared blankly at the sky.

--

The week passed by pretty quickly especially because they were crammed in a room for 3 hours taking one stinking test that barley anyone would like to do unless they liked studying, learning, and taking tests.

After the horrible exams were over, the field trip would begin. The regulars from both teams would show up near the charter buses (Note: Charter buses are luxury buses that have comfy seats, good air conditioning, a bathroom, and even a TV!).

As they went in, they each greeted each other in a friendly way (except for Kaido, Ryoma, Natsume, Usio, and Tezuka). Once inside the bus, each took their seats with people they were comfortable with except a few. Katou would sit next to Tezuka, Emi with Sakamoto, Eiji with Oishi, Kaido with Airi, Yumi with Natsume, Kawamura with Fuji, Usio with Amane, Momo with Inui, and Sakuno with Ryoma (on purpose).

Sakuno would fumble with her tennis skirt uncontrollably. She was nervous because Ryoma was sleeping on Sakuno's shoulder and she didn't want to break his peaceful sleep. Emi and Fuji were taking a picture. When Fuji saw that Emi was taking pictures as well, he smiled at her and complimented her too. This caused Emi to blush and hide behind Sakamoto.

Sakamoto would glare at Fuji. She was sending the genius a message of 'hands off my daughter'. Fuji just chuckled at Sakamoto's over protectiveness. Katou was making small conversations with Tezuka and Tezuka, surprisingly, replied back in full sentences. Eiji and Oishi were talking with Yumi. Natsume was listening to her iPod that she brought. Usio, as always, was sketching. Amane was taking secret glances at Oishi but would occasionally look at Usio's drawings.

Inui would be creeping Momo out by writing various ingredients for his next Inui juice. Momo did not want to look at the list anymore when he saw a familiar bug name in there. Kaido and Airi were talking about animals. And Kawamura was just looking out the window so he can fully view nature.

When they finally arrived at a certain point of the mountains, they had to walk. Most of them groaned and complained but were silenced by Tezuka and Katou's promise of laps around the courts. The all started to jog except Usio because she was getting a piggyback ride from Katou.

"U-Usio-chan, you should jog yourself…" Airi said as she was jogging beside Katou.

"I don't want to." Usio's replied, quick and simple.

"You'll have sucky endurance." Natsume said. Usio glared at her, got off of Katou, and then started to race with Natsume.

"Guys! If you run to fast you might fall!" Katou warned. The two didn't listen so Natsume hit a tree and Usio fell. The rest of the regulars sweat dropped.

"Guys…" Katou sighed.

They all started to jog at a moderate speed though some would be slower or faster then the majority while they jogged through the mountains. They finally came to a stopped at looked at _it_.

"Are you serious?" Emi said with wide eyes.

"Its so…" Natsume didn't finish.

"That's it I suppose…" Sakamoto said, writing in her notebook.

The others remained silent as they gazed upon _it_.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	33. GNO in the Mountains!

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Note: The poll is back up on my profile. You know the one where you say which of the girl regulars is your favorite? There is now a multi-choice (about 4 votes). So which one is your favorite or maybe you have more than one. Please take the poll on my profile page, thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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"Oh my God! The hotel is awesome!" Yumi exclaimed.

Standing before the regulars was a beautiful hotel that had a fountain in the front and a carefully tiled pathway to the glass doors. The whole building was white and spotless. Millions of roses were planted on the side and even a few trees were planted in the front to emphasize the outward appearance and overall attractiveness of the building.

"Are you sure this is where we are staying?" Oishi asked the coach.

"Yeah, I mean look at it! It's huge and…and…luxurious!" Airi exclaimed along with Yumi.

"It wasn't me or the board. Some rich widow donated the funding for this field trip. Her alias was DataQueen." Sumire stated, unbelieving herself. Everyone immediately looked at Sakamoto, thinking that it might be her.

"What are you guys staring at? I don't have money." Sakamoto said walking casually towards the glass doors.

"You live in an underground mansion. How could you not have any money?" Usio asked.

"My parents pay the bills for that house. Other than my necessities, I have to get the money on my own." Sakamoto replied.

Emi and Katou looked away. They knew it was Sakamoto because they also know for a fact that Sakamoto does business and a couple of deals by selling her inventions. They both know that she won a couple of Nobel prizes as well. They decided to keep silent because they have no idea what Sakamoto would do to punish them.

The two teams, completely unaware that Sakamoto did it, just shrugged it off and went inside. They were amazed to see the inside exterior and wonderful design. There were famous paintings on each side of the wall and vases filled with roses were close to the marble wall. This place was extravagant.

"Ryuzaki-sensei, how rich was that widow, nyaa?" Eiji said as her stared at the whole entire hall in awe.

"I don't know but they did say that she was extremely smart…" Sumire started.

Everyone looks at Sakamoto since she is smart.

"She invents things…"

Everyone begins to suspect Sakamoto since she always has a couple of inventions that she brings to school.

"And she's 30 years old without a husband because he died in an accident." Sumire finished.

Everybody then looked away. Sakamoto defiantly wasn't thirty years old and used to be married. That would be insane but Katou and Emi knew better. They both know that Sakamoto can hack many things and change her identity when needed. Sakamoto was a scary force.

After Sumire found out where they will be staying, she called the whole gang (both boys and girls) to the small restaurant they had in the hotel and explained where they will be staying.

"In this hotel they have a huge room on the top floor. When we get to the top floor, there will be two doors. Yet each door is like a different house. The girls will take the left door and the guys will take the right. The rooms are supposed to be big. Do not complain if you think you don't have any space." Sumire said. Each regular nodded and proceeded to the elevators.

"We're supposed to train here? It's more like a vacation." Airi said to Amane. Amane nodded in agreement.

As soon as they got to their floor, they saw two doors and the rest of the hall was blank. The girls took the left and the guys took the right. When they opened their doors, they saw a wide, spacious room that seemed like the inside of a house. The wall was split between the two rooms so they couldn't see each other unless they got out of their rooms at the same time.

"This is seriously unbelievable." Natsume said, heading towards the TV. She turned it on and watched a wrestling match.

"If it's so unbelievable then why are you watching TV?" Usio asked.

"It's because if this is a dream then I'm going to take advantage of it." Natsume said. The other girls rolled their eyes or sweat dropped.

"Anyway, guys, an emergency GNO is called. Take a seat on the comfy bean bags on that corner over there. Oh and I call blue!" Katou said, rushing to get the blue bean bag. The other girls either smiled or laughed at Katou's childish behavior for a simple bean bag.

* * *

The guys couldn't believe their eyes. The saw a huge room and the refrigerator (as Eiji checked) was filled with delicious looking food. They couldn't see the girls because of the wall that split the two rooms but they wouldn't mind after all they would be less nervous without girls sleeping right next to them. You know, guys and hormones are combined at this age. They defiantly didn't want the girls to hate them.

"Hmm, spacious and luxurious…" The data man, Inui, said as he wrote in his green notebook.

Momo immediately rushed to the kitchen for something to eat, Fuji just took out his camera too polish it, Ryoma sat on the couch to rest, Tezuka did the same as Ryoma, Oishi went to cook something for the rest, Eiji went with Oishi, Kaido went to the restroom to wash his face, and Kawamura just went to go watch TV.

All was peaceful and silent until they heard a noise from the girls' side. The voice was so loud and clear.

"OH MY GOD!!!! SAKAMOTO JUST KISSED INUI!?"

* * *

"Shh, Yu-chan, what if the guys hear?" Airi tried to calm her older sister.

"Who cares!? This needs to be known to the world! Sakamoto made advancements!" Yumi complained.

"Sakamoto is living in the adult world" Usio said.

"E-EH!? You mean she has gone farther than kissing!? Like…hugging?" Amane blushed.

"Whoa, so Sakamoto has hugged Inui too. So that's what it's like to be an adult…so what did he taste like?" Katou asked.

Sakamoto smirked. "Like the delicious flavor of…" Sakamoto paused for dramatic effect, "Inui juice."

The other girls stayed silent. "So…it was bad…?" Airi asked.

"Nope, he was delicious." Sakamoto chuckled. Some girls blushed, some looked disgusted, and some looked puzzled.

"Did he have food in his mouth?" Katou asked, curious.

"No."

"Then how does he taste delicious?" Katou asked.

"Katou when you kiss Te-…I mean when you kiss someone, whatever they ate last will be what you taste if you use your tongue." Sakamoto business smiled.

"Wait…you can use your tongue when you kiss?"

"Katou, have you been living under a rock?" Emi asked.

"No, I live in a spa/Inn." Katou replied. The other girls sighed. Katou will never get it since her mind is way too densely pure.

"Okay…Let's play a game." Emi smiled.

"What kind of game?" Natsume eyed Emi suspiciously.

"Confession! We each have to confess on who we like! We already know Sakamoto likes Inui so let's push that aside." Emi said.

"No, I do not like a selfish, insignificant half robot like Inui Sadaharu." Sakamoto's face was stoic yet she had quite a disturbing aura.

"But you just kissed-..." Emi got cut off.

"I wanted to know what a kiss was like. It was mainly for research purposes." Sakamoto stated quickly. Emi and Katou knew she was lying and tried to cover it up.

"Okay…then I'll go first. I like…" She said the next words so softly that no one could hear.

"What!? I can't hear you!! Speak up!" Yumi said. Emi took a deep breath.

"I like Fuji-san!" Emi finally said confidently.

"EMI, YOU LIKE THE SADISTIC GENIUS!!?" Yumi shouted.

"Shh! The guys!" Emi warned.

"Okay, okay, um…I like Eiji-kun!" Yumi said loudly.

"Aren't you afraid he might hear?" Usio asked. Yumi shook her head and smiled. Usio sighed.

"I do not like anyone. I hate all men because they are horny retards." Usio said emotionlessly. She then went to her sketching.

"Eh…? But I thought you and Momoshiro-kun might have…" Airi didn't finish.

"He is the one person who I don't want to fall in love with because he's a moron and I don't date morons. But he is…tolerable at times and nothing more." Usio said.

"Um…I don't have anyone I like either hehe." Airi said.

"You sure, you seemed pretty happy talking to Kaido-san at the bus." The girls grinned at Airi. Airi blushed.

"Y-You misunderstand! W-We just recently became friends!" Airi said defensively.

"No fun…" Yumi pouted. "Go ahead Amane-chan!" Yumi encouraged.

"U-Um…I like…Oishi-san…" Amane said softly as her face turned as red as a tomato.

"Amane-chan likes Oishi-pion!!!???" Yumi shouted.

"YUMI!" The girls complained. Yumi backed away and put duct tape on her mouth.

"As for me, there are no guys. I take guys as friends rather than lovers." Natsume said, still watching her wrestling match.

"I don't like anyone." Katou said then an image of Tezuka popped in her head. _'Eh…why did I think of Kunimitsu?'_ She asked herself. Emi and Sakamoto sighed. When will Katou finally realize her feelings?

"Ano…I d-don't l-l-like anyone…" Sakuno blushed and played with the hem of her skirt.

"Sakuno you are such a bad liar. Besides…we all know you have the hots for Echizen or Ryoma-kun." Emi and Yumi teased.

"N-No! Mou!" Sakuno blushed and ran away to her room, her sanctuary.

"Guys, you shouldn't tease her like that. She's a girl in love and doesn't want to express her feelings yet…oh, there's another peanut butter and jelly sandwich!" Katou grabbed the sandwich and started to eat it. The girls sweat dropped.

"But Katou, don't you like someone as well?" Sakamoto asked.

"Yeah, I like all of you guys, my mom, my little sister, Kunimitsu, my-…" Katou was cut off.

"Oh my god, I'm just going to tell you straight. Katou, you like Tezuka!" Emi said. Katou dropped her PB & Jay sandwich that was in her mouth.

"What do you mean?" Katou asked.

"You like Tezuka like you want to go out with him like kiss him, hug him, hold hands, get married, have kids, and die together on your stupid grave! How many times must I tell you that you love Tezuka more than a friend!" Emi huffed. Katou remained silent.

She didn't know what to say. She thought about Tezuka for a moment. They are great friends and she does like to be around him but she never thought about the future. Was it alright to stay the way they were, forever?

"Let's all go to sleep." Katou finally said, making her way to her room as if she was normal…too normal. The girls followed Katou and went into their respective rooms to sleep except Emi and Sakamoto.

"Do you think I messed up Katou?" Emi asked.

"She needs a bit of reality and intense thinking in her life." Sakamoto responded.

* * *

The guys couldn't believe what they heard. Each girl, well most, stated who they liked. Some of them were tense, nervous, or a bit embarrassed. Others were confused, angry, or excited. Tezuka, Ryoma, and Inui were confused. Momo was obviously angry at Usio. Kaido, who just got out of the bathroom, went back inside. Oishi and Eiji were embarrassed. Kawamura was a bit tense but was relieved to know that Natsume didn't have a special someone in mind.

Fuji was excited to hear about Emi's confession. Fuji chuckled and sadistically smiled at his new camera that has sound recording. Oh, what an interesting conversation he recorded.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	34. Danger in the Mountains: Beware of Pools

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: a bit long.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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The sun rose from the horizon, showing off its bright yellow glow and lightening up the sky into a bright blue. Trees were gently dancing as the wind whistled its tune by using the trees' leaves. Small birds were be chirping along with the wind but there was only one bird singing on a certain girl's window.

Usio woke up and saw the cute little blue bird. She stared at it, wondering if she could sketch the bird accurately. Usio took out her sketchpad and began drawing the bird before it flew away. She displayed a small smile on her face. Usio smiling was pretty rare.

After a few minutes, Usio finished her drawing and began to rip it out and put it in a separate folder to color it later. She was pretty hungry and the only place she could eat was in the kitchen and the kitchen is the only place where the two sides could meet.

Usio got out of her room and yawned. She made soft and slow steps towards the kitchen. When she finally reached her destination, she opened the fridge. Usio looked at the food but didn't find anything and she couldn't cook because she would burn the building down if she did. Usio sighed and sat down on one of the corners. She was going to wait until someone that could cook come in.

As Usio waited for what seemed like 5 painfully long minutes of hunger she finally heard footsteps. Usio Then looked past the counter to see that it was Momo. She grew a bit unhappy yet strangely comfortable. Momo finally came in and saw Usio. She was sitting down. He raised his eyebrow, wondering why she was sitting down. He also thought that she was weird.

"Why are you sitting down?" He asked.

"Because I'm waiting for someone who can cook for me." Usio replied.

"Are you a princess or what?" Momo asked. He thought that Usio might be one of those princess types who only think of themselves and completely relied on servants.

"No, I can't cook to save my life." Usio said. Momo's eyes widened because he was surprised.

"So there is something that the perfect Usio-sama can't do." Momo grinned.

"Who ever said I was perfect?" Usio asked, unfazed. She looked calm on the outside but she was mad on the outside. _'I knew it, all men are stupid retards.'_ She thought.

"Ah, then I guess I'll have to cook." Momo said. Momo then pulled up his sleeves and started to grab a couple of things to cook with. After a few minutes of being in the kitchen with Usio silently watching, he finally made hamburgers for the both of them.

Usio stared at her burger questionably. She didn't know how to eat a burger because she would always order salad or chicken nuggets from fast food places. Usio glanced over at Momo who was eating his hamburger happily. Usio grabbed her burger the way Momo did and took a big bite from it.

The hamburger tasted pretty good but she wasn't going to admit it. "Your cooking skills suck." Usio said out loud to Momo.

"WHAT!?" Momo huffed. He was mad that Usio would say that rude comment but just before he was about to say something mean back to her, Usio spoke up.

"Thanks for the food." Usio smiled at Momo in gratitude even though her smile was small. Momo's cheeks turned a light crimson color and his heart began to speed up. _'What's wrong with me?'_ he thought to himself.

Usio looked at him like he was weird. She just shrugged the idea off and went to her room to do some more sketching. Airi walked past by Usio and saw that she was in a good mood because she was smiling.

'_I wonder why she's so happy.'_ Airi wondered.

Airi entered the kitchen and saw a red faced Momo. She stared at him, puzzled. _'Is he sick…did Usio do something…?' _Airi wondered.

"Um, Momoshiro-kun, are you going to breathe any time soon?" Airi asked, waving her hand in front of Momo so she can check if he was still alive.

Momo snapped out of his trance and walked away silently. "Okay…" Airi shrugged it off and opened the kitchen window to let out the smell of burgers out of the stuffy kitchen. Airi then saw Kaido, all the way at the bottom, jogging. Airi quickly got dressed and walked outside.

She ran all the way to the bottom in hopes that she would catch him before he got to the corner then she probably would have lost him. Luckily, when Airi came down, Kaido was taking a small water break. Airi took note that he was glistening in his sweat. Man did Kaido look hot in Airi's eyes. Airi blushed but tried to get it out of her mind.

She slowly walked up to him and began to speak. "G-Good morning, Kaido-san." She said in a sweet, welcoming voice. Kaido turned around and saw Airi smiling angelically. He blushed and looked down. "Good morning, Nakashima." He managed to say.

"Can I jog with you?" She asked politely. Kaido wasn't sure but he just nodded. They both talked as they jogged. Airi would be out faster than Kaido.

"You…You have good stamina…" Airi said in between gasps.

"Thanks." Kaido slightly smiled.

"Ah, you smiled!"Airi pointed at Kaido. Kaido blinked, surprised. "Ah, I'm sorry. It's just that you don't really talk much or smile in front of me so I was wondering if you might not want to talk to me. But now I just think you're shy." Airi smiled at Kaido.

Kaido blushed and looked down again. Airi thought that Kaido was so cute when he did that. She knew that she liked him but she wouldn't tell anyone just yet.

"Sora-chan! Quit flirting with Kaido-kun!" Yumi shouted as she jumped on Airi. Airi blushed and told her sister to get off but did not succeed. Yumi kept on teasing the two for a full 5 minutes. After that, Yumi ran off to the pool.

'_Ah, my little sister has found herself a nice guy though…his face is a bit scary but I know Sora-chan sees the inside rather than the out.'_ Yumi thought.

Yumi then rushed towards the pool. She already brought a swimsuit just in case of some sort of body of water was near by and she could swim in it. As soon as Yumi saw the pool, she ran towards it and took a dive.

Yumi felt the cold splash and hard resistance from the water. Yumi was at the bottom of the water and she wanted to get out fast since she was almost out of air. _'Get me out of here!! Where's the surface!?'_ Yumi thought as she hurriedly swam up to the surface.

But there was someone in her way. She pushed whoever was in the way and got up. Once she was floating calmly again, Yumi would take one deep breath of fresh air. She glared at the boy in a bugs bunny raft.

"Oh that's nice. You tried to murder me in this pool! Yeah, float away from me, float away!" Yumi stuck her tongue out to the boy.

"Nyaa, Yumi-chan?" Yumi heard the familiar voice of her good friend, Eiji.

"Oh hey, Eiji-kun, I just was dying in the abyss, don't mind me." Yumi mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Eiji asked, handing her a can of juice. Yumi smiled at his sweet consideration.

"Thank you!" She said, drinking her juice happily.

Eiji then remembered the conversation the girls had. He also perfectly remembered Yumi's confession word for word. When Eiji remembered, his face turned a bit red.

"Yumi-chan…Do you have anyone you like, nyaa?" Eiji asked a bit too quickly.

"Eh, yeah." Yumi replied simply.

Eiji waited for a few seconds, just in case Yumi would add more on. Yumi just stood there, staring at Eiji. She was wondering why he was looking at her with curious and hopeful eyes. She also wondered why his face was a bit red. _'I wonder if the heat is getting to him.'_ Yumi thought.

"Eiji-kun, you're too quiet. Is something wrong?" Yumi asked.

Eiji blushed and looked down. "Ah, you must be hungry, nyaa!" Eiji shouted out all of a sudden.

"Eh, no I'm fine-…" Yumi was cut off.

"But you must be a bit hungry! I'll go get us some snacks!" Eiji declared, running away. Yumi was puzzled by his actions. _'Did I do something wrong?'_ She asked herself.

* * *

Natsume was wondering around the hotel. She heard that there would be sports other than tennis you could play in. Natsume wanted to try out baseball. _'Man, this place has everything. I even found a mall in here and this place is too huge…I wonder about that widow…'_ Natsume thought suspiciously.

Natsume strolled down the halls and finally found the baseball room. She was very excited to play baseball since she used to play when she was younger but then she quit that to be a Yankee then she even quit that to become a tennis player. So basically, she is still playing a sport.

Natsume was about to go in when she spotted a certain powerhouse player. "Taka-san!" She called out. Kawamura turned his head around to see a familiar red-head girl. "Yamada-san?" Kawamura said, walking towards her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Playing baseball." Natsume answered. "Want to play with me?" She asked.

"I don't think I'll be that good-…" Natsume handed Kawamura a baseball bat. "BURNING! Of course I'll play!!" Kawamura switched personalities.

Natsume slightly sweat dropped. _'So a tennis racket and a baseball bat can make him switch personalities?'_ Natsume asked herself.

They both entered the baseball stadium and noticed that they were the only two there. _'Baseball is fun. Too bad not many people come here.' _Natsume thought.

"Are you going to pitch or bat, Taka-san?" Natsume asked.

"Great-O! I'll bat!" Kawamura positioned himself at home base and was ready to bat. Natsume stood at the center of the diamond field and in one fluid movement, Natsume pitched a fast ball. Kawamura watched as the ball approached him at rapid speed.

Using most of his arm strength, Kawamura hit the ball right in the middle of the bat and sent the poor, half ripped ball flying high. Natsume stared at the ball for a good, long minute. Natsume stared at Kawamura and smiled.

"Great job Taka-san. You just earned a home run." Natsume grinned.

"BURNING!!" Kawamura's bat slipped from his grasp. "Ah, thank you." He said sheepishly.

"Taka-san, you're really good." Natsume complimented.

"But I kind of lost it there, sorry." Kawamura apologized and bowed.

"What are you saying sorry for? That was great. So what if you lose control? It just means you're having fun." Natsume confidently smiled. Kawamura slightly blushed. Natsume was different from other girls.

* * *

Piles and shelves of books could only be found in the library. Emi, obviously the book lover, would be at this place even if it was closed. After all, she has to read some sort of book, mainly the romance genre.

Emi already had a load of books on her table. She was carefully reading each one. _'NO!! Don't do it Jane!! He's going to break your heart!'_ Emi thought as she was reading a romance novel _The Only Rose_. The book was a novel about the world's greatest martial artist nicknamed 'Gin' that no one has ever seen and the challengers who fight Gin never speak of their battles ever. It turns out that 'Gin' is a high school girl at a small village and fall in love with the wrong guys until one man who's even better than she is come along and steals her heart.

'_Gin-chan is such an idiot. Shiro-kun may be better than she is but he's only charming her! He's not really in love with her!'_ Emi argued in her head as she reads along.

Guys are such a pain. All I ever hear in the papers is 'the world's greatest martial artist defeats million of challengers'. Then there's this guy who comes in and proves that he's better than me but doesn't do anything like even fight other people! He only fights me. But I never see him fight with other girls not even the ones who are martial artists.

"Gin-chan." I could remember his voice anywhere. Gosh, I'm such a dork. "Gin-chan, you look healthy, fight me and…" He paused. I wonder if it was for dramatic effect. I turned around to give him my full attention but then, get this, he leaned down and kissed me!

I blushed real hard because that was my first kiss. "Be my girlfriend." He finished. I tried to punch him but missed. Stupid karate fighting martial artist!

Emi felt that it was somehow familiar with her own life. _'I know I've seen this thing before but…I don't know where.' _Emi deeply thought to herself. She could barley hear anyone since she was so focused in her own thoughts.

"You're still very cute, Emi-chan." A familiar voice ringed in Emi's ears. She blushed and remembered why it was so familiar.

"I-I'm not that cute." Emi looked away so Fuji couldn't see her red face.

"It's rude to turn your face away from me." Fuji turned her head to his, hazel eyes meeting azure orbs. Emi could feel her face turn red from close contact; their faces were only a few inches apart.

"U-Um…" Emi was tongue tied. Only Fuji could have this effect on her. Fuji only chuckled at Emi's shy cuteness.

"Oh Fuji, it's nice to see you here." Sakamoto said, walking towards the two. She had her business smile on but her aura was full of malice.

"Good morning, Miharu-san." Fuji smiled, putting his arm around Emi's shoulders casually. Emi couldn't move. She was also looking at the floor with her red face. Sakamoto swiftly smacked away the genius's arm and took Emi by the hand.

"Emi and I have to go. We forgot to finish our extra homework, ja." Sakamoto left with Emi before the genius could answer back.

Sakamoto took Emi to another table far away from the previous one before talking openly with Emi. "He's only charming you, you know. Once you get sucked in his love trap, you can't come out until he decides to throw you out." Sakamoto said.

"I know but…I have a strong, sudden urge to read romance novels, I always think of Fuji-san, my heart beats so fast when he's around, and my cheeks grow hot just by his touch or compliments. Tell me, is this love? Because I think it is." Emi said.

"Fine, do what you want but when he does hurt you, go cry to Katou." Sakamoto walked away, leaving a confused Emi behind.

Sakamoto had a pained feeling. She likes Inui but no matter how close she got to him, he would run. When she'd driven him to a corner, he'd find a way out. When she'd call him, he wouldn't answer or hang up right on the spot.

'_I guess it's my fault. I took away his first kiss and I would know since we are both experts in…observing people's lives'_ Sakamoto thought, grimacing.

Sakamoto then spotted the data man she had been talking about. He was wearing a green hat and reading a thick book on physics. _'It just wouldn't be Inui if he didn't study on a 'half' vacation'_ Sakamoto sighed then she smiled for real.

'_Wait…he's alone. Now I can talk to him without him running away.'_ Sakamoto walked up to him.

"Good morning, Inui" Sakamoto said, trying to be as casual as she usually is.

When Inui saw her he flinched but only slightly so it was unnoticeable. Unfortunately for Inui, Sakamoto notices everything when it comes to him. She clenched her fist and put it slightly behind her so he wouldn't see it.

"No greeting?" She asked.

"Good morning, Miharu." Inui said. His voice was slightly strained. Sakamoto could see in his eyes that he was scared. All that was done from just a forced kiss.

'_So it was better to be just friends after all…'_ Sakamoto thought sadly.

"Inui, you look scared…" Sakamoto quickly got closer. Inui took steps back, growing more scared.

"I'm sorry. Inui, I hate it when you don't look at me straight in the eye. If…If I stop kissing you randomly, will we be normal friends again?" Sakamoto asked, her eyes showing sadness and begging for forgiveness.

Inui just looked at her, confused. He didn't know that he looked that scared to Sakamoto. He was just embarrassed and he knew what his feeling as. He fell in love with his best friend. He knew the feeling and researched it well. That's why he avoided Sakamoto.

"We are friends." Inui leaned down and kissed Sakamoto. "Special friends." He added.

* * *

Bustling tables, hungry customers, and delicious smelling foods made Katou happy. Katou loves to eat and she has two stomachs that help her eat more of her proportion. Katou didn't want to cook, she preferred to eat the food rather than cook it herself.

Katou's diets consisted of sweets, sweets, and guess what, more sweets. Katou has a strange metabolism that enables 'sweet food' to turn into 'healthy food' which means, Katou can eat a million cakes and still look great.

Katou was eating her third double fudge skyscraper high cake. She was enjoying the sweet taste, the delicious aroma, and breathtaking sight. Of course, Katou, being the glutton she is, would admire the beauty of it for a few seconds before devouring it whole.

She was thoroughly satisfied but it left her face full of chocolate smudges and crumbs.

"You have something on your face." Tezuka, who was with her at the time, said as he wiped the crumbs off her face. Katou smiled at him. The people around the two thought that they were some sort of model couple that was actually really close. The air around the two seemed special.

"What a cute couple." The waitress, who was older than them by a couple of years, squealed a bit. Katou blinked. Tezuka glared a bit. He didn't want the waitress to mess up his good mood.

"OKAY! I'll leave you two lovebirds alone!" She winked as she walked away.

Katou blinked again. "Was she talking to us?" Katou asked. Tezuka's eyes showed a slightly strained, a bit sad feeling. Katou wondered why he was feeling that way. _'Did I say something wrong?'_ She asked herself.

Tezuka sighed. "Don't worry about it." Tezuka patted her head softly. She loves the touch of his big, warm hand on top of her head. It made her feel really nice. Katou would be suddenly sleepy with a light shade of red across her face.

"Thanks, Kunimitsu." Katou smiled.

Tezuka felt a strong urge to give her a hug but did not because there was too many people and he was worried that there relationship might end if he takes the wrong turn. Instead, Tezuka softened his gaze and smiled back at her.

Katou felt so light and happy. Tezuka was the kind of stoic guy that would never smile in a million years of knowing him. Yet only one girl was able to touch his heart. He was glad that she did because if she didn't then maybe he would remain unfeeling as a rock.

"Neko-chan!!" Katou blinked and turned around to the voice. Emi rushed over to her side and dragged Katou from her wonderful, cute moment with Tezuka.

"Why am I being dragged away!?" Katou asked frantically as she was pulled forcibly out of the delicious smelling restaurant.

* * *

Sakuno was dragged out to swim with her seniors. They all knew how to swim but some of the girls seemed a bit too happy to swim. Sakamoto was smiling softly and she had a good aura around her. Some of the girls freaked out and wondered what diabolical plan she was thinking about. Usio had been drawing a million sketches and Emi was making small chibi pictures of Fuji.

"Emi-sempai, did something good happen?" Sakuno asked.

"Hum…Fuji-san…is like a gentleman though his sadistic side takes over…and…" Emi blushes.

"O…okay…" Sakuno walked away, not wanting to know the rest. She couldn't take to Usio since Usio was so absorbed in sketching and Sakuno does not want to know why Sakamoto is happy since Sakamoto's happiness leads to blackmail and evil moments when she's in the kitchen holding a knife.

"Come on Sakuno-chan! Get in!" Yumi shouted, grabbing Sakuno's hand and yanking her into the pool.

Sakuno tried to get up. She didn't know how to swim. Yumi, obviously panicking, shouted out for Sakuno. "SAKUNO-CHAN IS DROWNING!!" Yumi yelled in her loud voice. Emi saw Sakuno and rushed to where Katou might be which obviously would be some place that sells food.

Emi finally found Katou with Tezuka and rushed towards her. "Neko-chan!" Emi shouts as she drags Katou away.

"Why am I being dragged away!? Katou asked.

"Sakuno-chan is drowning! Save her!" Emi answered back.

"Call an ambulance, not me!" Katou said.

"Doesn't matter! You know CPR." Emi said.

Katou started to run with Emi to the pool but when they did get there, Sakuno was saved by Ryoma. The girls' jaws dropped. Ryoma carried Sakuno in his arms and walked past the two bewildered girls.

"Mada Mada Dane."

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: ****The Only Rose**** is not a real book. I just wanted to clear that out. Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	35. Game Set

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Sakuno woke up while coughing up chunks of water that were stored up in her lungs. Her eyes stung and she felt way too cold. Her throat began to burn as the last bits of water were out. She took a deep breath and tried to make sense of the muffled sounds all around her. She couldn't hear very well – water in her ears. Sakuno then had a huge migraine coming on. She laid herself back down and closed her eyes.

"Look what you did, moron." Usio addressed Momo as she smacked him on the back of his head.

"It wasn't m fault that she got up and then went back down." Momo argued.

"Fshuu, you're loud enough to give me a migraine and I didn't even drown." Kaido hissed, annoyed at Momo's loudness as well.

"What did you say, viper!?" Momo got up and clenched his fists to get ready for a fight.

Airi tried to hold Kaido back and reason with him. Usio reverted Momo's attention back to her. Tezuka was grateful that he didn't have to utter a word but he did feel that his responsibility of putting those two down was stripped away from him.

Katou sighed and touched Tezuka's shoulder to cheer him up by smiling. Katou then changed the topic. "Guys, Sakuno could have died. This is no time to argue. Sakuno-chan should be taught how to swim." Katou stated. Everyone looks at Ryoma because he did save her.

Eiji and Momo grinned at Ryoma. "Echizen, you saved Ryuzaki." Momo stated, grinning from ear to ear.

"Nyaa, you really love your girlfriend." Eiji added.

"Who is that?" Ryoma asked in a bored tone. He then got up and was headed to leave but was stopped by Katou.

"Teach Sakuno how to swim." She said though it sounded more like a command. Ryoma pulled his cap down. He didn't like to listen to orders but this was an exception. "I was going to do that whether you asked me to or not, sempai." Ryoma then left.

Katou smiled. She knew that his pride would never allow him to say anything else. Momo and Eiji were not satisfied with his response. They were too busy shouting out how 'Echizen isn't a real man' and such.

* * *

"T-Thank you for teaching me how to swim, Ryoma-kun." Sakuno said.

"Hn." A simple reply came from the boy. Ryoma almost laughed when he saw Sakuno's swim wear. She was still childish because she wore a one piece swim suit that was a cute pink color. Ryoma taught her about how to swim for a full two hours. He looked at her with a bored face because he knew his upperclassmen were looking at him and Sakuno through an obvious looking bush.

"Sorry for the trouble." Sakuno bowed.

"Keep kicking your legs, Ryuzaki." Ryoma said.

Momo felt like he wanted to bash Roma right there but he couldn't do it since everyone would think he was crazy not that he already did since he was spying on two people. Yumi and Usio came in and Yumi dragged Eiji away to the arcade while Usio dragged Momo away to give the two some privacy. Ryoma mentally thanked his considerate seniors who had some sense left in them.

"You're too stiff, Ryuzaki." Ryoma observed how she swam. Sakuno could barley swim through shallow water. Ryoma sighed at Sakuno's non-existent progress. He walked up to her and held her hand then he walked over into deeper waters. Ryoma made Sakuno lay down, floating. She was happy but got stiff since she didn't know what to do next.

Ryoma, obviously knowing that she was still too stiff, rubbed his temples. He kind of felt like Tezuka whenever he put an end to Kaido and Momo's bickering. "You're still too stiff." Ryoma stated. He then lightly massaged her sides to try and relax Sakuno.

Sakuno blushed and shuddered lightly by his touch. Her body did relax by a lot but Sakuno felt the urge to shout out. Ryoma was teaching her how to swim and he was touching her or technically massaging her in her sensitive spot.

"Ahhh…" She moaned. Roma stopped and blinked at Sakuno. Sakuno's face was a dark shade of red like a tomato. Sakuno, being extremely embarrassed and self conscious, swam away. Roma blinked again at her amazing progress.

"Ruzaki, you're swimming." He said.

Sakuno stopped and began to drown. Ryoma sweat dropped. "Ryuzaki…stand up. It's only 3 feet." Ryoma said.

Sakuno stopped and stood up. She was only at three feet. Sakuno blushed harder and was extremely embarrassed. "I'm sorry!" Sakuno ran away form the dumbfounded Ryoma.

'_Girls are weird…'_ Ryoma thought as he saw the brunette run away.

* * *

"No, that did not happen!?" Yumi exclaimed.

"Sakamoto is a woman now! She has a boyfriend!" Airi exclaimed. Amane blushed, Natsume raised an eyebrow, Usio remained silent, Emi blinked, and Katou had her mouth opened.

"So he said that you guys are special friends? Then I don't think it means he's your boyfriend." Emi pointed out.

Sakamoto's smile never faltered but her aura changed greatly into one that is angry and full of malice. "Oh so we're just special friends that can kiss. What a strange relationship hehe. Hey guys, I have a new juice waiting for you. I need taste testers." Sakamoto evilly business smiled.

The girls back away. Emi regretted what she said earlier. "U-Um or maybe that was just his way of saying that you two are dating hehe…" Emi laughed nervously.

Sakamoto's smile remained the same but her atmosphere changed again. She was now happy. "Hmm then maybe I'll let you taste it some other time." Sakamoto stood up and went to her room.

As soon as Sakamoto closed the door, the girls relaxed. "Okay, never ever and I mean EVER let Inui break her heart EVER!" Yumi spoke out for the rest. The others nodded in agreement. They would not want to taste stronger versions of Sakamoto's experimental drinks when she is angry.

Sakuno came rushing in with a huge blush on her face. All the girls stared at her and wondered why she was red but then they had an idea and grinned. "Sakuno-chan, you look flustered. Did something good happen with you and Ryoma-sama?" Yumi grinned from ear to ear.

"What? Sakuno-chan can't be a woman like Sakamoto. She's too innocent." Emi stated.

"You're right but it can happen like Amane." Usio said. Everyone looked at Amane. Her face was flushed. "U-Um…I'malsogoingoutwithsomeone." She said too quickly. The girls blinked and stared.

"Oh my god, is it with Oishi-pion!!!??" Yumi desperately asked.

Amane blushed even harder but then she nodded. The girls squealed with excitement. "Ne, tell us!" Emi asked.

"Well, during breakfast when Oishi-san and I cooked for everyone, he and I had a few moments to talk…and one thing led to another and…he asked me out…I said yes and…he k-k-kissed me." Amane looked away, trying her hide her completely crimson colored face.

The girls' jaws literally dropped to the floor. Amane was never the aggressive type and Oishi seemed a like a gentleman but after Amane's confession, things seemed to be a little different. "Amane-chan has guts now! Don't forget to use protection!" Yumi shouted out loud.

"Do you even know what that term means?" Usio asked.

Yumi deeply thought about it for a second. "Um no but my carefree dad says so all the time when I go hang out with Eiji!" Yumi said, smiling. Amane blushed.

"Well…I think we should eat dinner!" Emi quickly went into the kitchen. She immediately ran into a certain genius.

"F-Fuji-san? What are you doing here?" She asked without thought. Fuji chuckled.

"This is a kitchen, ne? I came here for a snack." He replied politely. Emi blushed. She felt so stupid now.

"Um…um…I have to go!" Emi rushed out of the kitchen and ran to her room, shutting the door quickly. Fuji chuckled at her reaction. He could still remember her confession and he will tease her until she tells him face to face.

The girls watched as Emi ran into her room. "Emi is being weird. Did something happen?" Yumi asked.

"I saw, Fuji and Emi were talking but it seems as though Emi couldn't sta and chat for too long because she was embarrassed for saying something stupid." Natsume explained, sitting back on the couch.

"What did she say?" Katou curiously asked. Sakuno sat down next to Natsume to hear about it.

"They were both in the kitchen and Emi ran into Fuji. Emi was so shocked that she asked what he was doing there in the kitchen. But it's pretty obvious that anyone would be in the kitchen to get food. Too bad Emi didn't think properly." Natsume said.

"I think we should all confess!" Yumi shouted.

"No way, why would anyone do that?" Natsume asked.

"Because if you don't then there's punishment." Yumi said evilly.

"Yes, if anyone doesn't confess then they get to drink my improved orange juice 2.0 and they have to drink every last drop." Sakamoto popped out of nowhere, freaking out most of the girls.

"Then what about the people who supposedly don't have a crush on anyone?" Emi came out of her room and eyed some of the girls.

"Well then those girls will at least go on a date with the person the girls that do have crushes choose." Sakamoto explained.

"Alright, Katou has to take out Tezuka, Airi with Kaido, Usio with Momoshiro, Natsume with Kawamura, and Sakuno with Ryoma. Each of you have to or else…" Sakamoto lifted up the dreaded juice, "you know what will happen." Emi grinned.

The girls gulped but silently agreed to the terms. It was going to be one heck of a da when the go back to school tomorrow.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	36. Game Start

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

Many if the girls' faces had circles under their eyes or their faces were red. The guys had no clue why they were like that though Fuji, still having his camera with sound recording, knew exactly why the were looking the way they were. Fuji purposefully sat next to Emi. Emi blushed and looked down. She was debating in her mind whether or not she should just say it.

The rest of the girls followed Fuji's example. Sakamoto was obviously next to Inui sending him disturbing notes that made his face turn a bit red. Amane and Oishi were trying to become closer as a couple and decided to talk about their similarities. Natsume sat next to Kawamura and talked about baseball. Katou, not caring about the deal, sat next to Tezuka anyway. Airi shyly sat next to Kaido hoping that she could get the deal out of her head and talk to him properly. Usio, a bit mind boggled, sat next to Momo who was wondering why she would sit next to him. Yumi sat next to Eiji and tried to act normal. Sakuno, of course, had to sit next to Ryoma.

"R-Ryoma-kun, I'm sorry." Sakuno slightly bowed. Ryoma cocked an eyebrow.

"Sorry for what?" He asked.

"Well…I ran away so suddenly when you were teaching me how to swim…and for avoiding you for almost the whole day…and I'm the one who spilled your ponta…and I-…" Sakuno got cut off.

"It's fine Ryuzaki." Ryoma sighed, looking out the window.

Sakuno played with the hem of her long skirt. Now how was she supposed to ask Ryoma on a date? She didn't create a good mood it seemed more neutral to her. Sakuno stole a glance at the prince and noticed that he fell asleep.

'_EH? That fast? How am I supposed to ask him now?'_ She thought miserably.

"Sakuno-chan, you should have thanked Echizen." Katou said.

"Eh, why?" She asked.

"Well for starters, he taught you how to swim right? And he saved you from drowning." Katou said.

"EH!?" Sakuno exclaimed.

* * *

They were finally home. Even though the mountains were great and all, the still love the city where they were born in. As the all went their separate ways, each girl was feeling a bit off. Some would have to ask for a date and the even braver girls will have to confess.

All of the 3rd years went to Kawamura sushi for a free bite. The 2nd years went to a burger joint. Amane and Oishi walked home together. Inui and Sakamoto went somewhere else which left Tezuka, Katou, Emi, Fuji, Yumi, Eiji, Natsume, and of course, Kawamura to go to Kawamura Sushi.

Yumi and Emi would have to confess while Katou and Natsume have to ask for a date. Let's see how they do…

"Kawamura-san do you have any sweet sushi?" Emi asked.

"Ah…yeah we do." Kawamura said as he thought about all the sweet flavored sushi he has.

"Then I'll take mines extra sweet, 'kay?" Emi asked, smiling. Kawamura smiled back. Fuji was emitting a dangerous aura towards Kawamura. Kawamura suddenly felt a chill. Natsume was sulking a bit when Emi went to talk to Kawamura but didn't say anything because she wondered why she felt mad at her fellow teammate.

When they entered the shop, they each sat down and had a bite of sushi. Emi was sitting next to Fuji, happily eating her sweet sushi. Fuji took this as an opportunity to tease Emi. "You sure love sweet things." Fuji smiled at her.

"Yeah, Katou and I both have a huge sweet tooth for desserts. Sakamoto has more of a bittersweet taste hehe…" Emi remembered Sakamoto eating a weird bittersweet chocolate candy bar that Sakamoto made herself. Emi felt like gagging when she took one bite from it.

"That's nice…Saa, I heard that you like someone. Is it true?" Fuji asked politely. Emi blushed and remembered what she had to do. She tried to forget it but it just somehow came back.

"Um…well…I…" Emi looked down to try and hide her reddened face.

"You're really cute, Emi-chan." Fuji lifted up Emi's face. Emi turned as red as a tomato because it was the first time Fuji ever called her that.

"I-I'm not that cute…" Emi took a deep breath. "Um…can I talk to you outside?" She asked, gathering up her courage. Fuji nodded and followed her outside. Natsume, Yumi, and Katou knew what she was going to do.

Natsume sighed and decided to ask Kawamura out casually before it got complicated. "Yo, Taka-san, do you want to play baseball on Saturday?" Natsume asked as casually as she could.

"Uh…sure but why all of a sudden…?" Kawamura asked.

"It's a date." Natsume simply said, drinking her water. Yumi and Eiji stared at her. Kawamura blushed at the word 'date'.

"Natsume!? That's not a date!" Yumi argued.

"As long as two people who are a girl and a boy hang out and have fun then it's a date." Natsume replied smoothly.

"Cheater…" Yumi mumbled.

"Nyaa, are you having a bet?" Eiji asked.

"Well…yeah…AH! Sushi!!" Yumi grabbed a bunch of different sushi to try and change the subject.

"Nyaa??" Eiji wondered about Yumi's strange behavior but then again Yumi is always a bit more 'special' than other people. Yet her behavior was off.

As the rest were having fun, Emi was with Fuji outside. She was ready to confess. She could actually hear every beat of her heart. It was rapidly increasing. Emi took another deep breath.

"U-Um…the weather is nice today…" Emi started.

"Hmm, you're right." Fuji smiled.

"The food was great too…" Emi continued.

"Saa, the wasabi rolls were especially delicious." Fuji continued to smile.

Emi was silent for a second. "…The weather is really nice today…" Emi mentally slapped herself for repeating the same thing. Fuji just chuckled. "Yes, it really is."

"I uh…I…" Emi whispered the next couple of words. She was almost inaudible. Fuji didn't understand. "Can you repeat that, please?" He asked politely.

Emi took a deep breath and gained her courage. "Fuji, I like you." She said confidently before her cheeks were stained with the color of red. Fuji smiled. He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. After they parted, Fuji opened his eyes.

"Took you long enough." Fuji chuckled and gave her another kiss. "Now you're mine." He said possessively with a sadistic smile creeping up on his face. Emi blushed.

"Emi! How long are you going to-…?" Yumi came out and totally ruined the moment. Eiji was right behind her staring at the new couple. Fuji was smiling in a very evil and creepy way. He was telling them to leave.

"U-Um, I think we should go back." Emi blushed and ran inside with a flushed face.

"Thank you for taking us back." Fuji smiled at his good friend, Eiji. But Fuji had a murderous aura around him. He was going to take secret pictures of him kissing Emi but they just had to ruin it. Yumi and Eiji, obviously detected his murderous atmosphere, backed away.

"E-Eiji…I think we caught them at the wrong time." Yumi said, almost shaking.

"Nyaa, Fujiko is going to kill me!" Eiji and Yumi hugged as Fuji passed by the two.

"Fuji sure is scary, right Kunimitsu?" Katou asked.

"Ah." Tezuka replied.

"Ne…Kunimitsu…are you free on Saturday?" Katou asked a bit shyly. _'Why am I nervous?'_ she asked herself.

"Ah." Tezuka simply replied.

"Then can we go out and eat at one of the restaurants that just opened?" Katou asked. Tezuka thought about it for a second.

"Ah." He replied. Katou did a victory dance in her head and smiled brightly.

"That's cheating! You didn't really ask him." Yumi complained.

"No, it's the same on how Natsume explained it." Katou grinned. Yumi mumbled something under her breath.

"Nyaa, what's the bet about?" Eiji asked.

"Um…well…can we talk outside?" Yumi asked.

"Why can't we talk here, nyaa?" Eiji asked. Yumi dragged Eiji outside anyway.

Yumi then blushed and took a deep breath. "It's not a bet. It's more like a challenge. The girls who have someone they like have to confess while the girls who don't have to date someone of their choice. If they don't do the challenge then they have to taste Sakamoto's experimental juice." Yumi said.

Eiji just blinked. "Then which do you have to do, nyaa?" Eiji asked, grinning. Even though Eiji was smiling, there was a deep anxious feeling of wanting to know who Yumi likes. He did, after all, knew he had a feeling and was a bit too dense before.

"I have to confess to the one I like." Yumi said truthfully.

"Nyaa? So who is the lucky guy?" Eiji asked. He was bouncing a bit on his toes. He was only pretending to be excited which was rare considering that he's always happy and full of energy.

"THE BOY I LIKE IS YOU, EIJI!" Yumi confessed in her loudest voice. Eiji stopped bouncing and he stared at her. For a few moments there was silence.

Yumi looked up to see if Eiji was getting ready to reject her but she got a different reaction instead. Eiji gave Yumi a big huge hug. "Nyaa, I like you too!" He snuggled up to her and rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately.

Yumi felt blissfully happy. They both didn't know that a certain genius was behind the shadows, video taping the confession. Sweet revenge…

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the burger joint where Momo, Usio, Kaido, Airi, Sakuno, and Ryoma are all eating. Momo, Kaido, and Ryoma were getting competitive and started to have a burger eating contest. Usio was sketching the whole scene and even made it into a short gag manga. Airi was about to tell them to stop so they could cool down but they were already behind the point of listening to others. Sakuno just sat there smiling nervously.

As it turns out, Ryoma won but the guys had stomach aches afterwards. The girls walked with each guy. It was Usio with Momo, Kaido with Airi, and Ryoma with Sakuno.

Momo had no clue why in the world Usio would walk with him. They always bicker and argue. He wondered how he came to fall in love with this ice woman. Usually she would be unfeeling and cold but whenever she was around Momo, she felt more alive at least.

"You shouldn't have eaten too much." Usio scolded. Momo didn't have the strength or stomach to fight back.

"Here," Usio handed him a pack of Tums. He looked at the bottle questionable.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"To help your stomach, what else?" Usio asked.

"What's the catch?" Momo asked.

"There's no catch, just eat the medicine." Usio also handed him her gag manga. Momo ate one small tablet of Tums and took the manga form her hands. Her drawing was really good and it was really funny. Momo forgot about his stomach ache and he was laughing at some of the parts.

"This is really good!" Momo grinned. Usio smiled. "Thanks." She said. Momo stopped and his face turned red. He remembered why he liked her again.

Usio looked at him like he was weird. "Ne, let's go on a date." She asked bluntly.

"W-What?" Momo asked. He was a bit confused.

"Date as in d-a-t-e." Usio spelled it out.

"I know what a date is but why me?" He asked, pointing at himself dumbly.

"Are you going or not?" She asked. Momo did the automatic thing from shock and nodded at her question.

"Well, ja." Usio half-heartedly waved then left. Momo's mouth was wide opened. The school's most perfect girl just asked him out on a date and, at first, he didn't even like her. It was going to be a weird date.

* * *

Airi was with Kaido. She comfortably rubbed his back and asked if he was okay. Kaido blushed and said that he was fine. After that there was a plain silence. Airi remembered the bet and wondered what she could say to get the mood ready for it. She also didn't have any sort of excuse.

'_How do I ask him…um…wait, the guys paid for our meals! I can use that excuse!' _Airi thought.

"Um…Kaido-san…" Airi called out. She also stopped walking. Kaido stopped and turned around.

"What is it?" Kaido asked.

"Um thank you for paying for all of us." Airi said.

"It wasn't only me." Kaido said. Then silence.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you by…wouldyouliketogooutwithme?" Airi said a little too quickly.

"What?" Kaido definitely didn't catch what she said.

Airi took another deep breath and calmed herself down. "Um…date…would you like to go on a date with me?" Airi asked. Her voice was one octave higher. She was definitely nervous. Kaido blushed.

"Okay…" He finally replied. They were both feeling very happy though they wouldn't say anything. They walked home together in a comfortable yet a bit awkward silence.

* * *

Sakuno, being clumsy as she is, had no guts to ask the tennis prince. _'Come on Sakuno! Get it together. Just…just ask him out. Be aggressive like…like…like Tomo-chan! Well…not that aggressive…'_ Sakuno thought.

"R-Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno said all of a sudden. Ryoma stopped and looked at her, giving her his full attention.

"…The weather is nice today…" Sakuno chickened out. Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Hn." He shrugged.

The two both walked in silence together on their way home. Sakuno would stop trying to start a conversation though occasionally she would talk about school and tennis with Ryoma and Ryoma would just listen. Basically, it was a one-sided conversation.

'_Everyone in school says that we're good friends but truthfully, I don't know much except from his cousin, Nanako-chan, and his mother. And even they say that all he thinks about is tennis, his cat, and ponta.'_ Sakuno thought miserably.

"Um, Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno tried again.

"Hn?" He turned his head towards her. Sakuno took a deep breath.

"I-…" loud truck noise, "You!" Sakuno said.

"What?" He asked. Sakuno couldn't believe that a truck noise just ruined her confession. They were already at her house. Sakuno blushed. "It's nothing!" She said quickly. She went inside and closed the door right behind her.

'_I'll never understand girls…'_ Ryoma thought.

------------------------------------------

"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	37. Dates: They Are Strange Yet Romantic

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

"YOU DID WHAT!??" Tomoka squealed form the other line.

"I-I almost confessed but a loud truck horn…messed up my confession so it came out like 'I…you'." Sakuno repeated.

"Sakuno!! How can you mess up a confession?? It's impossible!" Sakuno could hear Tomoka half-crying. "God-sama! Please save this poor little defenseless creature named Ryuzaki Sakuno!" Tomoka wailed.

"T-Tomo-chan!" Sakuno tried to calm her best friend down.

"I will be right next to you so you can confess all right?" Tomoka offered.

"Well…alright." Sakuno agreed. They both hung up as Saturday started.

* * *

Natsume was waiting at the baseball field on Saturday. She had already two bats, two helmets, and one glove. As she was waiting for Kawamura to arrive, she thought about the challenge. _'I know it was a challenge but why pair me up with Taka-san? I think of him as a cool guy.' _Natsume thought.

"Yamada-san, sorry if I made you wait long." Kawamura said.

"Cut the Yamada-san crap. You can just call me Natsume." Natsume said. Kawamura nervously rubbed the back of his head. Natsume sighed and handed Kawamura his racket.

"BURNING!" Kawamura yelled out. Natsume smiled confidently.

"Bring it on, Taka-san." Natsume said. She threw a curveball at Kawamura. Kawamura shouted another 'burning' before he hit the poor ball near second base.

'_I still have a chance to get him out!'_ Natsume thought excitedly. She ran as fast as she could for the ball but Kawamura was fast. Natsume had to run only one half of the field for the ball while Kawamura ran to first base which was about a quarter of the field and was running towards second.

Natsume got the ball and ran towards second base. Kawamura, hot on his trails, was only inches apart from second base. Natsume was unfortunately faster. She had touched the base one second earlier than her did.

"Wow, let's do that again, Taka-san!" Natsume said excitedly. By this time, Kawamura did not have the bat because it slipped from his grasp a few seconds after Natsume touched second base.

Natsume was the quiet, loner type of girl. At least that was what Kawamura thought but now after seeing her kind side, her work side, and her play side, maybe she was different after all. Even when he was in his 'burning' mode, she didn't seem to mind. Instead, she welcomed it. It was the first time someone would be willing to hang out with him besides Fuji but he was his doubles partner and a friend. Friends accept you for who you are. Natsume was an acquaintance, a classmate, and a fellow co-worker. She was not a friend. But this baseball game changed a lot.

* * *

Usio was silently waiting in front of the movie theater. She had been preparing for the date. Her hair was up in a high pony-tail and she had a cute butterfly hair clip. She wore a lime colored mini skirt, a cute light blue spaghetti strap tank top, and an aqua colored jacket. She looked cute but spicy with her emotionless expression.

Usio had been studying about dating. Yes, the 'perfect Usio-sama' had to study for a date. She had no clue on how dates work so she went to magazines, something that she usually didn't read, to figure out this paradox called date.

She learned many things that couple would do but she crossed them out and tried to do the ones that wouldn't make her sick like kissing during a movie. She found that very energy draining just thinking about it. _'That moron would be grinning in triumph if I show any weakness.'_ Usio thought.

'_But then…isn't asking him on a date also a sign of weakness?'_ Usio thought more deeply. Usio didn't like to lose and if she didn't accept the challenge, she would not only lose but get punishment. As Usio was absorbed in her thoughts, Momo finally arrived.

Momo looked for Usio. He finally looked at the well dressed Usio. She looked really cute yet something was off. It didn't seem like her as Momo thinks. Momo took a deep breath and laughed his hardest at her. Usio, obviously ticked off, smacked Momo.

'_Stupid moron! I went through the trouble of dressing up nice. I knew all men were disappointing.'_ Usio thought angrily.

"At least you seem more like yourself. Yep, more like yourself." Momo grinned as he got back up. Momo didn't like the 'perfect Usio-sama'. He'd rather talk to the angry Usio, the one that actually shows emotions and the girl who is bad at cooking. It just made her seem more human that way.

Usio blushed at his comment. "Stupid, what do you know about me?" Usio looked away. "Let's go." She said rushing off into one of the movie theater rooms. Momo followed her while rubbing the back of his head.

When Usio got inside, she immediately got out. "Different one." Usio dragged Momo into another theater room and got back out. She left Momo near the candy counter and ran into every theater room. When she was done, she got back out and walked towards Momo.

"I don't want to watch a movie anymore." She said. Her head was a bit dizzy.

"You're the one who invited me here." Momo pointed out.

"All of the movies here…are chick flicks." Usio said. Momo's eye twitched. "Okay then let's get out of here." Momo suggested. Usio felt like a failure. She had been studying on dates and now she couldn't even do a proper one.

'_I do not want to get punished and I do not want to lose.'_ Usio thought. She then took a deep breath before talking to Momo.

"Momoshiro…I'm sorry." Usio said, biting her lip. She never thought that she would ever apologize to any man but Momo was different. He was special at least, that's what Usio thought.

'_He may be an idiot but…he always tries to cheer me up…it's thanks to him that I don't have to feel so empty all the time…I owe him…a lot…'_ Usio thought coyly.

Momo stuck his tongue out and made a funny face. Usio's eye twitched in anger. She punched him hard on his face and Momo was sent flying. _'Forget it! All men are disappointing.'_ Usio thought.

"Ouch, you don't have to hit me! But at least it's better than you apologizing." Momo said.

"That's so stupid." Usio grumbled.

"That's more like you, defiantly more like you." Momo grinned.

'_I guess…he's not like other men…' _Usio thought.

'_She's complicated…but very cute.'_ Momo thought.

* * *

"Big brother, you got asked out on a date!?" Hazue asked Kaido. Kaido's cheeks turned red but he nodded.

"Eh, you're cheating on Airi-chan!?" Hazue asked, franticly.

"N-No, she asked me out." Kaido quickly said. His whole face began to turn red. Hazue grinned when he saw his older brother's reaction.

"Ah, so then that's why you've been searching for a cool outfit to wear for 2 hours straight." Hazue's grin widened.

"N-No, it's not what you think-…!" Kaido was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Ah, that must be your girlfriend!" Hazue said excitedly. Before Kaido could say anything or stop his little brother from getting the door, Hazue opened the door and greeted Airi.

"Airi-chan!" Hazue hugged Airi. Airi smiled. Kaido was slightly jealous of his little brother being able to hug Airi without messing the friendship relationship. But then again, Hazue is still a kid so this wouldn't affect Airi a lot. Airi would have preferred to hug Kaido.

Kaido took a good look at Airi. She was wearing navy blue pants, a cute green tank top, and a green cap. Her smile made her look really pretty. Kaido blushed at how she looked. Airi also looked at Kaido. He was wearing baggy pants, black tank, and a dark green jacket. Airi was amazed at how handsome and how much older he looks.

"W-Well…green is a popular color right?" Airi said, referring to the way they were dressed. Kaido slightly smiled. "Your right." He agreed. Hazue, still being the devious yet helpful little brother, pushed Kaido.

"Have a great time on your date!" Hazue smiled innocently, closed the door and locked it. Due to Hazue's push, Kaido fell on top of Airi. Airi and Kaido felt embarrassed about the close contact. They stayed in that position for a while probably due to shock.

"U-Um…How long are we going to stay like this?" Airi asked, being the first one to be out of the trance. Kaido regained his consciousness and then quickly got off of her.

"I'm sorry." Kaido said quickly, bowing.

"No, it's okay." Airi said. They were silent and they both were standing stiffly.

"Um…we'll be going to a zoo." Airi said. Kaido knew she was going to say that. For once he actually smiled at Airi. Airi blushed at him. He just looked so amazingly handsome.

They both walked together all the way to the zoo. They had a fun experience like Kaido would sometimes get followed around by zoo animals that would sneak out of their cages. Airi would feed some of the animals that could be fed. The also got chased by a loose alligator but luckily, they survived with no injuries. All in all, they had a really good time at the zoo even though it wasn't a normal visit.

"That was really fun, ne Kaido-kun?" Airi smiled. Kaido nodded.

"I'm glad you don't dislike me. At first, I thought you did but now I just think that you're shy and really kind. But can I ask you two questions?" Airi asked.

"Yes." Kaido replied.

"Are we friends?" Airi asked, a bit hopeful.

Kaido thought about it for a second. He liked Airi and she didn't run away from him even if he gave her a mean look or glare. She was also really nice and kind. "Yes." He replied.

"Then…do you have someone you like?" Airi asked, a bit nervous and anxious. Kaido stiffened. He knew from his younger brother saying that he liked Airi countless times. At first he denied it but the more times he saw her, the more he began to believe it was true.

"I…do…" Kaido said, a bit nervous.

"I see…is she pretty?" Airi asked.

"Yes."

"Do I know her?"

"You know her as much as you know yourself."

"Wow then is it my sister Yu-chan?"

"No."

"Um… Usio-chan?"

"No."

"Then can't you tell me? We're friends, right?"

"She's right next to me…" Kaido said softly. Airi didn't hear very well.

"I'm sorry but what did you say?" Airi asked. Just before Kaido was about to talk, Hazue stepped in.

"Kaoru, dinner is ready! Don't get too lovey-dovey with Airi-chan!" Hazue informed. He then quickly closed the door to allow the two their privacy.

"Lovey-…?" Airi started.

"Dovey…?" Kaido finished.

They both were flushed with embarrassment. "S-See you later." Airi managed to smile.

"Y-Yeah." They both waved stiffly at each other before Airi left for home. Kaido began to miss her again and Airi felt the same.

* * *

Katou arrived at the restaurant earlier than Tezuka. She wore baggy pants, big white t-shirt, and a big blue jacket with a cap that held her hair. She looked like a total pretty boy. Several girls were already fawning over Katou. Katou wondered why girls would always do that whenever she dressed in guys clothes. She even felt as if people were staring at her when she changed in the locker room. She found it to be very uncomfortable.

A group of girls stared at Katou admiringly. Their eyes were full of hope. They hope to be able to ask Katou out and possibly go on a date since they thought Katou was a pretty boy not a girl dressed in guys' clothes.

'_Why do girls always look at me like…like they're hopeful for something?? Girls are weird…'_ Katou thought as she waited patiently for Tezuka.

Tezuka arrived fifteen minutes late because a group of fan girls found Tezuka and asked for autographs, pictures, and some even confessed. He refused them all because he had someone that he liked. He was the person who knew everything about her. He also had special feelings but they were the same feelings that had to be locked away because their current relationship might shatter if he lets them out.

Katou spotted Tezuka and smiled happily. She ran towards him and gave him a big hug. The people around them thought that they were two guys, a father and his young son. But they were dead wrong. They are two best friends who like each other but haven't confessed.

Tezuka lifted his hand and was about to hug back but he stopped and then let his hand fall back to his side. He really did want to hug her but would she feel weird because of his odd behavior? He didn't know. The ironic thing about it is that Katou really wanted Tezuka to hug her but she would never say it thus their relationship never seems to improve other than that of good friends.

"Kunimitsu, I saved up. So I'll be paying for my portion!" Katou said. Tezuka slightly smiled and patted Katou's head gently.

"I'll pay. This is a date." He said. Katou blushed. She knew this was a date but they would each pay for their own food.

'_Why do I feel all weird? My cheeks are hot too…I might be getting a mild fever…but they always happen when I'm near Kunimitsu…why is that…?'_ Katou densely thought.

They had a real great time eating dinner. Katou didn't order as much as she usually would but it was still more than the average human could eat. Luckily, they weren't in an expensive restaurant or else Katou would have barely eaten any food and she would've been starving.

"That was great, right Kunimitsu?" Katou asked.

"Ah." He simply replied. Katou could tell that he was enjoying it because she could read people's emotions through their eyes. She would know how a person would feel and can even guess accurately on their thinking though when it came to love, she didn't have a clue.

"Let's eat again but it's just to go out." Katou smiled. Tezuka nodded with a small smile present on his face. His smile then faded, leaving his eyes to tell her that he was still happy.

"Katou-chan?"

Tezuka and Katou turned around to greet a stranger. Katou did recognize the man though. "Ah! Ryuu-kun!" Katou ran to him and gave him a hug. Tezuka instantly grew jealous but it obviously wouldn't show through his stoic, captain façade. Katou and Ryuu would have a small talk before Katou introduced Tezuka.

"This is my best friend, Kunimitsu. Kunimitsu, this is my friend Ryuu." Katou smiled at Tezuka before Ryuu. Ryuu showed a pleasant smile to Tezuka. Ryuu then walked towards Tezuka and whispered something.

"I'll be taking Katou back from you, guardian-san." Ryuu grinned as he whispered the words to Tezuka. Tezuka grew tense but remained in the same aloof front as always. He had many years of practicing on not letting emotions surface. They both had a fighting spirit in between them.

Katou, being as clueless as ever, thought that they were getting along just fine. She thought they were sort of like two peas in a pod.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	38. Extreme Case of Failed Confessions

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Sakuno practiced more on her shots as she played with her upperclassman, Usio. Tomoka would be at the sidelines cheering but also thinking of ways to confess to the tennis prince. Even though Tomoka likes the prince as well, she knows it's just some intense admiration mistaken for love. She knows that Sakuno is the one who is really in love with the prince so Tomoka is going to help her good friend out.

After Sakuno's practice was over, she walked right next to Tomoka. "Do you have anything?" Sakuno asked shyly.

"Pick a card." Tomoka held out ten cards. Sakuno didn't know what was going on or how it was going to help on her confessions but she picked a card in the middle. Tomoka hid the other cards and grabbed the one Sakuno picked. She then took a look at it then grinned.

"The extreme way." Tomoka read out loud.

"The extreme way?" Sakuno didn't know what her good friend meant.

"This means, the extreme way to confess. In other words, we make a poster sized picture of Ryoma-sama and write 'I LOVE YOU' in big bold letters then we place it below the school's clock and boom! Instant confession!" Tomoka squealed.

"E-Eh? B-But isn't that a little too e-extreme?"

"That's why it's called the extreme way to confess! Come on!" Tomoka dragged her best friend towards the computer labs.

"EH!???" Sakuno yelled.

* * *

"Tomo-chan…can we stop? This is so embarrassing." Sakuno blushed. Tomoka didn't listen to Sakuno and pulled the rope when she saw Ryoma coming in. A giant sized poster of Ryoma with flowers on the background and the words 'I love you' were in big bold letters were shown to the whole entire school (or to the ones that came at the time).

"Kyaa! It's Ryoma-sama's wonderful face! And it says 'I love you' in big bold letters! KYAA!!" Ryoma's fans squealed in happiness.

Ryoma looked irritated. "Che, stupid fan girls." Ryoma grumbled. Fan girls were always annoying and now there were even more of them squealing ten times louder than usual.

"T-Tomo-chan…" Sakuno was speechless.

"Don't worry Sakuno-chan! I put plan B in his shoe locker!" Tomoka shouted.

"Plan B?"

"Yes, the romantic way! Put a love letter in his shoe locker with a rose and then we wait until he reads it! Look, look, he's opening his locker!" Tomoka dragged Sakuno to the shoe lockers. They both hid behind each other and watched as the prince opened his locker. Ryoma opened his locker and took out a note. He stared at it because it had a rose on it. Ryoma then threw the note away in the trash can a proceeded his day.

"WHAT!?" Tomoka shouted.

"T-Tomo-chan, I think he thought it was probably from some fan." Sakuno reasoned.

"Fine! Plan C! We e-mail or text message Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka shouted, determined.

"But…Ryoma-kun doesn't have a cell phone and he doesn't own a computer." Sakuno informed. Tomoka tripped.

"WHAT!? Mou, Ryoma-sama is so old fashioned! Let's go to plan D! The heroic way! Sakuno-chan, confess to Ryoma-sama during P.E.!" Tomoka pushed Sakuno.

"EH!??"

* * *

The two coaches were lazy today so they made the students, both boy and girl, run laps. Sakuno was on her third lap and she hasn't even tripped yet! Sakuno felt so relieved for Sakamoto's killer training menu, at least it helped her do better in P.E.

Sakuno was happily running when Tomoka sneaked up on her. "Sakuno-chan, chance encounter!" Tomoka pushed Sakuno towards Ryoma, who was just a few steps ahead of them. Sakuno fell on top of Ryoma.

"O-Ouch…" Sakuno then realized that she was on top of Ryoma.

"Hey, when are you going to get off?" He bluntly asked.

"E-Eh, s-s-sorry!" Sakuno blushed, got off quickly, and ran away. She was too embarrassed to confess.

_'She looked like she wanted to tell me something…?'_ Ryoma wondered about Sakuno's weird behavior.

* * *

"Jeez! Plan E: The childish plan!" Tomoka grabbed a rock. She then took a piece of paper and wrote the words 'I love you' then taped the paper to the rock.

"Childish plan requires the use of breaking a window!" Tomoka threw the rock into a room she thought was Ryoma's.

"T-Tomo-chan, isn't that vandalism?" Sakuno asked.

"Err…yes…run Sakuno!" Tomoka grabbed Sakuno's wrist and ran because she saw an older man look out the window.

After they were a few blocks away, Tomoka took out her phone. "Sakuno, we're moving to plan F: The old-fashioned way. You call, confess, and hang up, got it?" Tomoka handed Sakuno the phone.

"EH!?" Sakuno was obviously freaked out.

"Hello?" Ryoma's voice could be heard from the phone. Sakuno blushed.

"I…I always loved you, Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno then hung up the phone. She gasped and wondered what she just did.

"You did it Sakuno-chan!" Tomoka hugged her best friend.

"But…I never said my name…" Sakuno confessed. Tomoka's mouth dropped.

"The-Then…He doesn't know it was you!?" Tomoka fainted.

"T-Tomo-chan!?" Sakuno tried to help her good friend.

Meanwhile, Ryoma wondered about the strange phone call he just had. _'I could have sworn that was Ryuzaki's voice. Why would she call me? Did she just say that she loved me? No way, Ryuzaki's too shy to confess to anyone.'_ Ryoma put the phone down and walked upstairs.

* * *

"Okay, Plan G!" Tomoka grabbed Sakuno and dragged her near the tennis courts. It was the next day but Tomoka still didn't want to give up.

"T-Tomo-chan…are you sure this is going to work?" Sakuno asked. She really wanted to believe her best friend but after so many failures, she would have second guesses.

"Plan G: The devious way to confess ho ho ho ho!" Tomoka laughed evilly. Sakuno sweat dropped.

"T-Tomo-chan…" Sakuno smiled nervously with the corner of her lips was slightly twitching. Sakuno couldn't help her friend who was turning insane.

Suddenly all of the regulars, both boy and girl, showed up near the guys tennis courts. Sakuno looked at Tomoka to see if it was part of the plan. She noticed that Tomoka was grinning mischievously. _'T-Tomo-chan, you're not going to make me confess in front of all the regulars!?'_ Sakuno silently questioned.

"Hello everyone! As everyone, except Ryoma-sama, knows, I have a question for Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka smiled deviously.

The others stayed silent. Tomoka explained in the note that she would somehow make Ryoma confess his undying (in Tomoka's opinion) love for Sakuno. Momo, Yumi, Natsume, Usio, Katou and Eiji wanted to see this. Fuji and Emi wanted to video tape it for blackmail purposes. Sakamoto and Inui wanted to see it for data purposes. Oishi and Kawamura wanted to break it up but they were over powered. Tezuka and Ryoma were practically dragged there.

"Ryoma-sama, do you love Sakuno-chan!?" Tomoka asked. There was a painfully long silence. Sakuno felt uneasy. _'What if he says no?'_ She wondered. She was a bit worried.

"Hn." He replied. Everyone stared at him and wondered if it wasn't a lie.

"Nyaa, O'chibi turned into a man!" Eiji glomped on Ryoma.

"So young, so young." Momo chanted, patting Ryoma on the back hard.

Ryoma collapsed and was on the verge of dying. Sakuno, obviously being worried, tried to break them up. "U-Um, please stop. He looks like he's hurt." Sakuno said. Eiji and Momo picked Ryoma up and threw him towards Sakuno.

"Echizen, embrace your girlfriend!" Momo cried out. Usio smacked him on the back of his head. "Idiot, you didn't let him finish." Usio said.

"Thank you, Usio-sempai." Ryoma then helped Sakuno up because she fell when Momo pushed Ryoma and Ryoma bumped her to the ground.

"She's a good friend, that's why I like her." Ryoma finished.

The others stared at him, unbelieving. "W-What!?" Yumi shouted.

"WHAT!!??" Tomoka squealed. "Let me rephrase the question. Do you like Sakuno-chan more than a friend like you would want to go out with her?" Tomoka restated, even clearer this time. "Hey wait, where are you going, Ryoma-sama!?"

Ryoma just walked away with Sakuno following behind him. She couldn't confess and she had attempted way too many times in one day. Maybe she would ask him in a different day when he didn't seem so stressed.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	39. Extra: Lamb to Slaughter, Aqua Style!

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

--------------------------------------------

It was night and only a single candle was lit in the darkness. There was only a slight chill outside and the only sound you could hear was the rustling of leaves. Nine girls were hosting a sleepover and telling each other ghost stories.

Emi was on a roll. Her stories were so scary that Usio was actually shaking, Natsume remained emotionless, Yumi lost her soul, Katou grew scared, and Emi remained slightly sadistic. "Now, who wants to hear 'lamb to slaughter' next?" Emi enthusiastically asked.

"NO!!" The other girls cried.

"Okay! It was a warm and slightly cloudy day…" Emi began, smiling happily.

* * *

Mary was in the kitchen. She had a few guests over. They were Sakamoto, Emi, Katou, Sakuno, Yumi, Usio, Natsume, and Amane. Mary was talking to the guests while waiting patiently for her husband that she absolutely loved the most.

"So how long have you two been married?" Sakuno asked. She was a young teenaged girl and already had an interest in other happy marriages. She thought of a certain lad with dark green hair.

"Well, it's been 5 years." She said happily.

"So then you're relationship is good, ne?" Usio asked. She was drawing and trying to picture Mary in a wedding dress with her husband. Usio liked drawing happy moments even though she would never admit it to anyone ever.

"Yes, but lately, Patrick seems a bit tired." Mary confessed.

"Hmm and why do you think so?" Sakamoto asked.

"Well, he is a detective and so I think he's put to a lot of work since he's head detective." Mary explained.

"I see…" Sakamoto didn't believe any of it. She thought that there was something off. Katou and Emi also thought something was up though the others remained oblivious.

Natsume's cell phone rang. She picked it up and answered it. She got a voicemail from her older friend. It said that she was going to marry someone soon but he would have to divorce his current wife. Natsume was a bit startled that her friend would try to marry a married guy but there was going to be a divorce so she didn't mind it.

"Who was that?" Sakamoto asked.

"Ah, a friend of mine is getting married soon." Natsume replied.

"So who's she getting married to?" Sakamoto asked.

"Ah, I don't know. Some guy whose going to dump his wife and then marry her instead. Man, why'd he get married in the first place if he was going to divorce anyway?" Natsume asked.

"Well, humans can't predict the future. If they did then some of the horrible things that already happened wouldn't happen, right?" Sakamoto said. Natsume nodded in agreement.

Mary looked worried as she stared at the clock. She was waiting for her husband to return but it seems as though he was running a bit late. _'I have to get the others out of here before he comes back.'_ She thought.

"Um, I'm sorry but my husband should be coming soon. Can I ask all of you to please leave?" She asked. The girls stared at Mary. They then thought about it for a second and then got up to leave. Amane had to quickly use the restroom so she went down the hall.

After the others were out, Mary prepared some whisky for her husband. She waited for his arrival and still didn't notice that Amane was the only one inside the house with her.

The other girls decided to go to the grocery store which wasn't far away because soon, they were going to have a sleepover. Sakuno's grandmother owned a grocery store. As the entered, the girls greeted Sumire in a happy manner. Sumire was glad to see the girls again because they were always with Sakuno and helping her, a lot.

"Hello, Ryuzaki-san. Can we buy a couple of snacks and kidnap your granddaughter for the night?" Katou asked. Sumire smiled.

"Well just bring her back soon okay, Ms. Kidnapper?" Sumire chuckled lightly.

"Of course, Ryuzaki-san!" Katou smiled. The girls quickly gathered different snacks – sour, sweet, spicy, and many other mixed flavors of candy or snacks. The girls then saw Mary come in the store. Each instinctively hid behind the snack or candy racks.

"Hello, Sumire-san." She greeted cheerfully, a little bit too cheerfully.

"Hello, Maloney-san. What can I get you?" Sumire asked.

"Well, Patrick is too tired to eat out like we usually do on Thursday so I decided to make him some supper but I don't have any vegetables." She smiled sheepishly.

"Well what kind of vegetables do you want?" Sumire asked.

"Um…a can of peas and some Idaho potatoes, please? Can you also wrap some cheesecake for me? Patrick loves cheesecake." Mary asked politely.

"Sure, sure, that's about $10.98 plus tax." Sumire said. Mary paid the said amount and walked away. Usio then paused. She had forgotten her sketchbook.

"Um, guys, I forgot my sketchbook at Mary's house." Usio said.

"Okay then, we'll go with you." Emi said. Everyone followed Usio as they all went back to Mary's house. They heard a scream and then there was some racket heard. Amane walked beside the others, frightened and dazed. Yumi was the first to spot her.

"Amane, where have you been?" Yumi asked.

"Err…I was at Mary's house for a little longer because I had to use the restroom." Amane explained. The girls nodded and they knocked on the door.

Mary came out, sobbing. "Everyone, Patrick's dead!" She wailed. The girls were shocked. They couldn't move but Mary was surprisingly alert and awake so she hurried over to the phone and dialed the number for the police station. In a matter of minutes, they would be there, flooding the house. Soon, the doctor, assistant doctor, fingerprint officer, photographer officer, two detectives, two police officers, and one new intern would be inside the house.

The girls stared in shock as they noticed that they were the boys that they knew in high school. The doctor and assistant doctor were Tezuka and Oishi. Fingerprint officer would be Eiji. Photographer officer would be Fuji. The two detectives were Inui and Kawamura. The two officers were Kaido and Momo while the new intern would be Ryoma.

Fuji would take picture of the horrible dead body. Patrick's head was bleeding and he had the weirdest position. Eiji was dusting for fingerprints. Tezuka and Oishi took a quick look at Patrick to try to figure out what or how he died. Kaido, Momo, and Ryoma would be standing around because they didn't have anything to do at the moment except search for the weapon. Kawamura and Inui were taking a couple of notes and asking a few questions.

Mary would answer the questions while sobbing. There would be no way that she would do it, right? It didn't even seem like she was acting at all too. If she was acting then she was a pretty damn good actress.

"Well, it seems as though Mr. Patrick has been hit by a blunt object like a steel club. His skull is almost shattered and he died about a few minutes before Mrs. Maloney claimed she came back from the grocery store." Tezuka explained to Inui. Inui wrote it down in his notes.

"Mrs. Maloney, it seems as though you're the only witness but your alibi is airtight so you couldn't possibly be the murderer. But we will find him soon enough." Inui reassured her.

"How are you so sure that the murderer is a he? Did you also calculate the possibility that this is either a planned murder or a crime of passion?" Sakamoto asked. "Either way, Inui, your deductions are weak and you barley made any." Sakamoto stated.

"I-I haven't even made any deduction yet! Look, Mr. Maloney got hit in the head b a possibly huge, blunt object. I think it might have been a metal bat." Inui said.

"No, a metal bat may have the power to cause the damage if it were a man but at least half of Mr. Maloney's skull. This suggests that the object most likely is a club of some sort and a woman could hold it fine as well. But there is nothing in this house big and strong enough to cause that amount of damage." Sakamoto concluded. Inui felt a bit defeated.

"But these footprints suggest that someone attacked Mr. Maloney from behind and judging by the size, it has to be a man." Inui said.

"Wrong again, Inui. These footprints seem too calm and they are exactly the same size as Mr. Maloney though you can distinguish the two by how awkward the second set is. And if they were sneaky, wouldn't the murderer try to be as quiet as possible? So the foot prints should only show the tips of their shoes." Sakamoto explained.

"Miharu, I understand that your father is a detective but I am the detective to this case." Inui stated.

"And I want to solve this case along too. Or are you afraid of losing to me and that's why you're not letting me in." Sakamoto countered.

"N-No!" Inui lied.

"Hey, I smell something delicious!" Yumi exclaimed out of the blue.

"Ah, that's my lamb that I was about to cook for dinner…for Patrick…" Mary looked as though she was about to cry again.

While the others were trying to cheer her up, Sakamoto went into the kitchen and took out the leg of lamb. She closely examined it and laughed slightly. _'That is a good trick, Ms. Murderer but now I got the evidence to prove all your sloppy flaws.' _Sakamoto smirked and went back out.

She saw that everyone was trying to cheer Mary up. She looked really sad and it seems as though she could kill herself just to let the misery go away but Sakamoto wouldn't allow that. She had to catch the murderer first.

"Everyone, thanks for your hard work. I want to thank you all by letting you eat the rest of my supper. I couldn't eat it because…I don't have the appetite." Mary softly sobbed.

"But before we have supper, I have an announcement to make." Sakamoto said aloud. "I have found out who the murder is." Sakamoto said.

The others looked to her in shock. Why would Sakamoto know? "There are two suspects – Amane and Mrs. Maloney herself." Sakamoto pointed at the two.

The others were shocked even more. Mary is practically crying over her husband's death and she has an air-tight alibi. Amane, on the other hand, looked like she couldn't hurt a fly and she's Sakamoto's own cousin.

"What are you saying!? How are they the only two suspects!?" Natsume asked.

"Simple, Mary was the one who discovered the body and Amane wasn't with us at the time. She was in the restroom while we left. In other words, she was here the whole time except when we came back." Sakamoto said.

"Now, I'm going to tell each and every one of the murderer's flaws. The footprints and the suggestion of the weapon are only the beginning. First off, the weapon, how could it be missing? If it was a blunt object then the murder would want to get rid of it, right? What if the weapon was an unsuspecting one?" Sakamoto asked.

"Err…then what do you suggest it is?" Kawamura asked.

"Kawamura, you used to be a cook for Kawamura Sushi, ne? Tell me, how long does it take to cook a completely frozen, club sized leg of lamb on high?" Sakamoto asked.

"Well, the size and the temperature of the frozen meat on high would take hours." Kawamura replied.

"Exactly, and we've been playing under the murderers hands. The murderer tried to make us destroy the evidence." Sakamoto stated.

"What do you mean? Do you know where the weapon is, nyaa!?" Eiji asked, anxious as everyone else was.

"Of course, the hostess tried to make us eat it. Right, Mrs. Maloney?" Sakamoto smirked at Mary.

Mary was tense and she was sneaking towards the door, trying to go unnoticed and make a run for it while she could but Sakamoto ended her little detective play and caught Mary before she could make a run for it. Mary had to play along and shake it off as a joke.

"What are you talking about? A leg of lamb? That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard, hahaha" She laughed lightly.

"Oh, weren't you depressed on your husband's death? Now you're laughing. You sure can adjust quickly." Sakamoto business smiled.

"What…are you getting at?" She asked.

"That leg of lamb has traces of blood, traces of Mr. Maloney's blood, near the top. Guess which person is the only one who touched the leg of lamb and cooked it. Then tried to give it to the rest of us to destroy the evidence?" Sakamoto asked.

"Ha, that's still doesn't prove that I did it!" Mary said.

"No but I do have a witness," Sakamoto said. Mary froze and held her breath. "And the witness is the other suspect, Amane." Sakamoto pointed to Amane.

"I-I…Mary…the lamb…on the head…he dropped…I thought he was unconscious…and then I was scared…" Amane didn't continue.

"Also, your statement when we came back. Do you remember what you said? You said that he was dead. Why didn't you call for an ambulance instead of helping him? Why did you already determine that he was dead? And the answer is…because you already knew he was dead. You are the murderer, Mrs. Maloney." Sakamoto stated calmly.

Everyone freaked out. The detective's own wife killed him but for what? "Ahem, we still don't know the motive. Mrs. Maloney, do you want to share it?" Inui asked.

Mary broke down. Sakamoto was too good and she was so confident that she would get away with it. To think that all that quick planning gave her away. "The bastard wanted to divorce me for another woman! I couldn't forgive him! He had to die!" Mary said angrily.

"You shouldn't be so angry; after all, you're going to raise that child in prison." Sakamoto stated. Everyone stared at her.

"A BABY!?" They all shouted.

"Ah, I see. Her mood swings occurred because she's having a baby!" Yumi pointed out. Mary didn't say anymore. She was taken away to be sentenced for life in prison.

Sakuno turned to the intern. She wanted to say something even though it was a bad time to say it. "R-Ryoma-kun…I love you!" She confessed. Ryoma smiled and gave you a hug. "I love you too." He whispered back.

Sakuno and Ryoma sat together. They had become a couple and lived happily ever after.

* * *

"What is with that story!?" Natsume asked.

"Since when is Sakamoto a good detective!?" Katou asked.

"And since when does Sakuno have the courage to confess to O'chibi!? And since when does O'chibi turn all romantic!?" Yumi questioned. Sakuno blushed wildly at the ending. She was all embarrassed.

"That's not the point guys…Emi didn't tell a scary story this time." Sakamoto stated.

"It doesn't matter! Now Sakuno-chan has to drink Sakamoto's wonderful juice! Except you have one more day to confess since I think I'll be nice today." Emi smiled.

"And as for the girls who don't have anyone they like…I have stalked each and every one of you." Sakamoto business smiled. The girls who were stalked felt violated of their privacy rights.

"I know who each and everyone of you like. You have to confess or else…You'll be trying my latest white wine drink. There is absolutely no alcohol but they are made of certain…organisms…that are good for your body." Sakamoto calmly said. The girls looked like they were about to barf.

"So Katou to Tezuka, Natsume to Kawamura-san, Airi to Kaido-san, Usio to Momo-kun, and Sakuno to Echizen, everyone confesses and no getting your way out of it! Let the fun begin tomorrow!" Emi smiled cheerfully.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Lamb to Slaughter is an actual story but it was revised, Aquajet style! Hope you enjoyed the extra! Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	40. Usio's Confession: Yellow Carnation

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: The next few chapters will show each of the girls' confessions so the chapters will be told in 1****st**** person POV. There will only be 5 chapters in 1****st**** person POV. So the next 4 chapters will be in 1****st**** person, keep that in mind.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Those three simple words…are nothing but a nuisance. Love is an emotion that is not needed. They drain you of common sense and logic. And I, Kumiko Usio, will not succumb to this stupid emotion. This also means I will never love another so why do I have to confess to the world's most idiotic moron ever when I don't like him!?

"Usio, I'm going to stay over a friend's house." My dad, Kumiko Shizu, said to me. What a horrible guy. Who leaves their daughter all alone in a house to go to some weird party? My dad is gay. Meaning, when he goes to a friend's house, he's going to party and do weird stuff.

I don't know exactly what they do but it's painful. One night, when I was just a kid, my dad brought a friend over. It was a guy. They quickly went into their room and were stupid enough not to lock the door. I sat down near the door and just listened. They made lots of weird noises like they were in pain and the bed creaked a lot. I wondered from that day on if my dad was a masochist.

I still think he is, considering that he still brings his 'friends' over. I swear, each time he brings a guy, he's always different. He freaks me out, that old guy. But he's the whole damn reason I hate guys. When my mom died, he didn't even seem to care even when I broke down. He's the whole reason men disappoint me. So why do I have to confess?

All my life, guys have been the ones to confess to me, not the other way around. When a guy confesses to me, he always looks desperate. If I have to confess, I do not want to look that way. I also can't do it casually or else he won't take it seriously.

"Yo, Usio, did you hear me? Bleh!" My dad stuck his tongue out childishly and shook his butt right in front of my face. How mature.

"You stinking excuse for a male homo-sapient!" I kicked him so hard that he was sent flying towards the couch.

"That hurts like hell!" He yelled, rubbing his bottom.

"Serves you right." I said. I then went to the kitchen to see what I would eat.

"There are still some hamburgers in the refrigerator. It seems as though you've taken a liking to them." My father grinned. I hated him so much.

"I don't like hamburgers. They just help when I need inspiration for my drawings, nothing more." I quickly stated.

"Oh, really?" He questioned. He really did love seeing my angry face. And he must be a masochist because of the pain I give him when I hurt him.

"Go to your damn party already!" I kicked him out of the house and threw a toaster at him. I could hear him trying to open the door. The idiot forgot his own key. Too bad for him, I wasn't going to open the door any time soon.

I then remembered I had to confess so I went to my room and looked it up on my laptop. I wasn't rich or anything but I am in a middle class family. My dad is a male prostitute if you could believe that. Heck, even I don't believe it and I'm his daughter.

As I searched through the web for ways to confess, I saw my elementary school picture. It was me and a bunch of other students. I was on the side, a bit farther away from everyone else. I was different. I had blue hair and I wasn't talented in anything. I never had talent, it was all sheer training and practice that I got to be the top in many things but I couldn't do the one thing that was necessary for women everywhere. I couldn't cook or clean. I would end up destroying the house if I made any attempts.

How ironic. I read over some of the ways to confess so I can get my mind out of those days when kids picked on me just because they thought I was perfect. They were dead wrong. The perfect woman doesn't hate men and fan girls. In fact, I don't think she hate anyone. Maybe Amane-san would be the perfect woman if she wasn't so shy all the time.

"Hmm, giving out a letter is too cowardly…Throwing a rock in his house doesn't sound like a bad idea but I don't know where he lives…Making him say it first is easier but technically, I'm the one who is supposed to confess…That leaves saying it to his face…ugh…" I tried to imagine the scenario but only got a bad image at the end.

"He's going to reject me for sure…wait why am I concerned that he might reject me? That would be better if he did." I wondered. I shook the thought off and headed for the burger joint. He should be there, that's where he mostly is.

* * *

I scanned the whole restaurant for him and didn't find him. He should be there. He always is but it seems as though today he wasn't. I thought about giving Sakamoto a call and saying that I didn't see him at all that day so I can avoid the horrible white wine drink. Ugh, I'm disgusted just thinking about it. I think I need a moment outside.

I went outside and didn't even bother to take my sketchpad with me. I had no inspiration and I feel as though I can't draw anything for the time being. In fact, I haven't been able to draw anything but his face all the time. It's almost like if I don't see him, I can't draw anything else but him. That's too strange.

I walked towards the ally way and stopped. Maybe if I had a conscious, I would talk to it.

"Yo, Usio, you forgot your sketchpad."

Oh great now I'm hearing things. If I didn't know better, I would say that this voice sounds a lot like that idiot.

"Are you deaf? Hello!"

"Shut up you stupid conscious! I'm thinking about my life here!" I shouted back.

"What are you thinking about?" The voice asked me. Oh god, I thought a conscious was supposed to know it all or maybe they work like therapists? You know, like asking you meaningless questions just so you can spill your whole life story.

"I'm thinking about how to confess to an idiot I know." I told it.

"Who's this idiot?" The tone sounded a bit more serious and deep, like a man's.

"What kind of conscious are you? The idiot is obviously Momoshiro Takashi." I said. Is this really my conscious?

"Are you talking about me?" I then froze right on the spot. Have I been talking to Momoshiro all this time? I slowly turned my head towards the voice and felt like I could die. It was Momoshiro and he was holding my sketchpad.

"Of course not! It's another Momoshiro Takashi I know." I said quickly but there was a part of me that wanted him to say that he liked me back. I finally realize this now.

"Ha-ha, well that's good. You know, you look more human when you like someone. Good thing it isn't me." He said.

Was he seriously that dumb? He actually thought that I liked someone else who had the same name? I grew angry and I felt a very painful feeling swell up inside me. "What if…What if I did like you?" I asked. I wonder if he heard it because there was a long pause.

"Then I wouldn't return your feelings because you never are serious in anything. Even though you're talented, you never look like you're trying or even having fun." He replied.

I almost broke down. The pain that I'm feeling right now reminds me when my mom died but that feeling was empty. This one has left my blood boiling in anger. I tried to stay stoic as possible and walked right past him while swiftly talking back my sketchpad and I never even had to look at him.

"Is that so? Bye." I said, walking away. I also felt tears streaming down my face. Like I said before love is nothing but a nuisance. It leaves you with untamed, wild emotions. I don't need any of these sick emotions because it's better to remain frozen.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: In the title "Yellow Carnation" is a flower and it's meaning is "You have disappointed me" or "rejection". See how it fits the chapter? Anyway please leave a review. ^ ^**


	41. Natsume's Confession: Red Tulip

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: 1****st**** person POV for Natsume.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Those three simple words…are very confusing. I had never taken a thought to love. Now that I think about it, that sensation you get when you are near someone just wasn't there. Even now, I, Yamada Natsume, have never known what love really is.

"Yamada-kun, you're spacing out!" Kawamura-san told me. I almost jumped. I was currently working at Kawamura Sushi and I have to say that I really like this job. I never had a chance to cook in the kitchen but cleaning was something I'm pretty decent at though I wouldn't say I'm perfect.

Sometimes, however, I really want to cook. I want to know how to make sushi. I mean come on, homemade sushi is always good. But I don't think I'll ever be as good as Kawamura-san and Taka-san. Now those two are the real pros.

"Hey, Taka-san, can I have some sushi? I'll pay the amount." I told him. Taka-san shook his head.

"No, it's alright, you don't have to pay." Taka-san told me. He then made some extra sushi and gave it to me. I smiled and thanked him. I went to an empty table and took my short lunch break. Now that I think about it, Taka-san is a very nice person despite the extreme change when he holds on to a racket or baseball bat.

But then again, I'm weirder than he is since I **enjoy** his burning side. He's more aggressive and he never holds back even if I'm a girl. But when he lets go of that bat or racket, it's like he changes into a kind soul. Maybe he's a sleeping bear or something.

"Yamada-kun, you're spacing out again." Kawamura-san said.

"Oh, sorry." I apologized and got up after eating my lunch quickly. I also saved some of the sushi to feed that old man that locked him self up. Man, that guy needs to be more grateful. If he was starving then he should have put on a large amount of food in there for a lifetime. And he really should keep quiet about repenting or whatever.

"Natsume-san, you're really not into it today." Taka-san told me.

"Oh, right…and don't call me Natsume-san. That name makes me feel…old." I truthfully told him. Then I remembered the real reason why I was spacing out. I was supposed to confess to him but I'm feeling a bit nervous. He's always been a cool person to be around but somewhere in my mind, I really enjoy coming to this sushi shop for not the fun of working or the free sushi but because I get to see Takashi everyday.

Wait…did I just think about his full name just now?

"Natsume…you're face is red, are you okay." He asked. My face was red? I didn't notice at all!

"I'm fine." I told him. Well, I kind of lied since I don't even know myself if I was fine. I then heard some slight racket and even some cussing outside. Then a man who looked like he was in his mid-thirties came in and had a talk with Kawamura-san. I could hear their whispers because I was cleaning a table that was close by.

"Some weird guys are out there…dressed in black…wear flu masks…I think they're Yankees…" I heard him say. I paused and froze for a moment. How dare those stupid people follow me? I quit ages ago so why do they want me now?

I went outside and ignored Kawamura-san's warning because he didn't know the extremely horrible person I was before I was just a girl who asked for a job because I needed money. I am not normal and I'm not a sissy. If they want a fight then I'll become Crimson Butterfly for a moment.

"Crimson, it's you! We challenge the legendary Crimson Butterfly to a death match!" Two people in black wearing flu masks said to me.

One of them had long black hair with dark skin. The other had short brown hair with olive-colored skin. They both were taller than average, had metal bars, and looked pretty strong. They were slightly experienced fighters judging by their stance. They were ready to fight me even though I wanted nothing to do with these low-life losers.

"The legendary Crimson Butterfly is dead. This woman right here…" I pointed to myself, "Is Yamada Natsume, the girl who's gonna kick your ass." I told them.

They were obviously insulted since they started cursing at me and then went in to attack me. I just stood there, waiting for them to come closer so I could have the right chance to counter. All those years of being a Yankee taught me three things: One, when you counter, make sure you don't get hit. Two, when you're protecting someone, make sure that person doesn't die. Three, when attacking, don't hesitate and attack with the intention to kill.

Their movements were slow but I waited until they got close enough for my counter. Just a few seconds before they hit me, someone stood in the way, the person I wanted to protect. It was Takashi. He came to save me. He got hit by two metal bars right on the head.

"Takashi, you idiot!" I yelled out. He fell down with blood coming out from his head. I paused then I let the anger flow through me silently. Those guys were going to pay.

"Serves 'em right fer trying to get in our way." They said.

I walked fast towards them. They hesitantly lifted their metal bars but even that faded away when I came closer. They saw my eyes flashing with anger and I'm pretty sure they thought I was going to kill them. They lifted their blood stained bars and tried to strike me.

I dodged their attack and kicked the first one hard on the face. Once my foot lowered down, I pivoted and attacked the other with my other foot. I knew one thing from fighting Yankees: They fight with power, not experience. And that is their downfall. Just hitting wildly will make their movements unpredictable but very easy to counter if you're skilled enough.

I took one metal bar and walked up to the two guys. They were shaking in fear, something I used to enjoy seeing when I was a Yankee. "There is a person I want to protect here and I love him very much. This shop also means a lot to me. If you come back again to cause trouble, I'll hunt you down and when I find you, you're going to find out what hell on earth really means." I told them, my voice thick with malice. Heck, I even surprised myself. I haven't done this evil voice since forever.

The two guys ran away with their tails between their legs. What a bunch of cowards, geez. They haven't seen real hell until they drink Sakamoto's horrible experimental drinks. Now those make you feel how important and wonderful water is even if it is tap water.

"Natsume…" I heard Taka-san's voice and turned around. It seems as though he didn't get hit on the head very hard.

"You like someone?" He asked. He looked a bit confused.

"Yeah." I replied.

"…Was it my dad that you love?" He asked. I almost tripped and I didn't even take a step.

"Sorry, I don't like older men. That person I was talking about was you." I confessed very lamely.

Taka-san just stood there, wide eyed. He let his wound gush out blood and I swear I could've sworn I saw his soul come out. Did I shock him too much?

"Yo, Takashi, you're brain is going to come out if you don't patch up that wound." I told him.

He opened his mouth and closed it then opened it again. "Natsume I-…" Luckily I cut him off before he could speak.

"Damn it, you're in critical condition. So just shut your trap and get your treatment! And don't reply to my confession, not yet! Tell me tomorrow or something and get your head fixed quickly!" I yelled to him.

I then ran away. I wasn't ready to hear his answer. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to accept or reject me but I do know that my feelings for him are special. I thought about thanking Sakamoto for somehow helping me realize this but that would wait. Right now, I got to prepare myself for his answer.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: "Red Tulip" in the title means "Declaration of Love" and that's exactly what Natsume did! Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	42. Airi's Confession: Jonquil

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: 1****st**** person POV for Airi.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Those three simple words…are hard to say. I have been in love before so I know the feeling I get whenever I see him but I always have to deny it. It's because what if they don't return the feeling? Even my sister Yu-chan has got herself a boyfriend before me. I was so sure that I would be first before her but I guess I'm still just a kid.

"Sora-chan, cook me a rice omelet with cheese and chocolate sauce!" Yu-chan asked me. She has some pretty weird tastes but I have an even weirder taste.

"Ah, okay…um what kind of cheese?" I asked, making my way towards the kitchen with Yu-chan following me.

"Hmm…parmesan cheese is what I'm feeling today. Oh, and add some fish!"

Yes, Yu-chan's tastes are…special. But for me, I'd make myself a rice omelet with pepper and mangos. They taste really good! Anyway, I went into the kitchen and took out the pan for my cooking. Yu-chan was hovering over me so she could watch me cook. Yu-chan can't cook; the house will be blown up unless she has supervision from me or my dad.

"Sora-chan, how are you going to confess to Kai-chii if you don't go over to his house??"

"Y-Yu-chan! I'll ask him out later!" I told her. I think my face was red because my cheeks were hot.

"Oh, so you were planning to ask him out, hmm?" Yu-chan grinned from ear to ear. I blushed even more and yelled at her to get out of the kitchen. She ran out laughing. Mou, she is always too energetic just like a kid. But at least she's always happy.

I looked around the refrigerator for the ingredients and that's when I noticed that we were out of food which means I have to go buy some more. I sighed, closed the refrigerator, and took my wallet. I walked down the hallway and took a coat to keep myself warm.

"Yu-chan, I'll be back later!" I yelled before I left.

"Okay!" Yu-chan waved at me as I left.

Walking to the store was always easy and finding bargains were even easier. You see, ever since my mother passed away, I had to shop, cook, and clean. I know when to use the right coupons and how to get the most stuff with little money. Besides, even though it might sound weird, but shopping to me is almost like a scavenger hunt.

I then heard a small meow. I turned my head form left to right, searching for the quiet sound. The meowing grew louder and then I started to feel something against my leg. I looked down to find a small cute cat. It had yellow fur and green eyes. The little thing reminds me of Emi-sempai.

I smiled at the little cat and picked it up. "You want to come home with me?" I asked it. The cat meowed in response but I knew what it was saying. I know how to talk to animals since they are easy to talk to. I walked in while hiding the cat in my big purse that I brought.

I went inside the store and bought everything I needed for dinner, today and tomorrow. I then silently walked home though I did feel as though someone was following me. I walked a bit faster and then heard more footsteps. I wondered if someone was really following me but then wouldn't Mi-chan (the little cat that I have in my bag) hiss or something?

I changed my direction and walked around. Mi-chan started to hiss when we went farther away from home and wandered off into an unknown street. I think I was lost when I was trying to lose that person who was following me. Now how do I go home?

Mi-chan kept hissing. I wonder why she (I found out that Mi-chan is a girl!) didn't hiss before when someone was following me. But the only person I know who wouldn't get hissed at by animals is Kaido-kun. But it couldn't possibly be him. He would be at home or running…around town…

Maybe it was him…

"Ah," someone bumped into me and almost knocked me down. Luckily, thanks to practice, I have better reflexes. I didn't fall but my purse was missing. I looked to my left and right and even below me but I didn't see it. I turned around and I saw Mi-chan being taken away by that man that just bumped into me.

"Mi-chan!" I ran towards the thief but someone went past me. He was faster and I could've sworn I saw a familiar bandana on his head. He caught up to the thief and stopped him. When the thief turned around, I saw his face show instant fear (even the people who were looking seemed really scared). The man gave the familiar stranger my purse.

I walked up to him. Was he really Kaido-kun? I couldn't be really sure. "Kaido-kun, is that you?" I asked. I then heard Mi-chan's meow. She also seemed really happy too.

"This is your right?" Kaido turned to me and handed me my purse as well as Mi-chan though…Mi-chan didn't seem so happy to be with me. Uwah, I think all female animals will hate me if they ever meet Kaido-kun.

"Yes, thank you very much, Kaido-kun." I smiled at him. He is a really nice person.

"And that's why I'm in love with Kaido-kun." I said softly aloud without realizing it. Mi-chan was the one who got me out of my admiring/in love state by scratching my face. I guess she was jealous but…that's kind of weird. You know, a cat trying to compete with a human for another human's affection.

"Nakashima…? You like me?" I looked towards Kaido-kun's face and notice that his face was flushed. He looked so…cute!

"Yep, but I didn't say so at first because the last time I liked someone…it didn't turn out well. But I got to have a little bit of courage to confess. So, do you have an answer?" I asked. His face only turned a darker shade of red, how cute.

I didn't think a man like Kaido-kun could be described as cute. There are many words that my classmates say about him which include mean, weird, scary, and (mainly his fans) handsome. I always thought that Kaido-kun was handsome and mature looking. I also thought he was one of those cool, silent types but I never ever thought that I would address him as cute.

Kaido-kun put his hand on my head and gently pushed me towards his chest. He was really strong…I think I'm blushing again. But I could hear his heartbeat and it was going really fast.

"What are you looking at!? Look away!" Kaido-kun was yelling at other people who were staring at him. I laughed a bit. Kaido is shy he-he.

"I like you too, Nakashima." He said very softly but I could hear it and I'm glad he returned my affection.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: The flower "Jonquil" in the title means "Return my affection". Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	43. Katou's Confession: Honeysuckle

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: 1****st**** person POV for Katou.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Those three simple words…are wonderful. They're an expression of love if you ask me. I say it all the time to my friends and family but those words hold a different meaning when it comes to the person you like more than a friend. Even now that confuses me. I've never taken the thought of liking someone more than a friend. Even if I did, Kunimitsu's face always pops up for some reason.

How come he's the only one who can make me feel different? Whenever I'm around him, my heart just races, I feel happy, and I want to hug him. Even my two best friends, Emi and Sakamoto, don't make me feel the way he does. Maybe it's because he gives off that 'guy' feeling.

"Katou! Ryuu-kun is here!" My mother sang out. She acts like a child sometimes.

"Okay." I replied. I then quickly brushed my hair and put on some clothes. I jumped down stairs and landed successfully without any injuries. I guess gymnastics was handy though sometimes I would fall on my buns whenever it came to the bars. Oh cheesecake, the bars were horrible.

"Katou, I told you not to jump down the stairs. You're not ready and you could fall on your buns."

Ah, a scolding from a mom who does that every morning when she's going to work and she forgets all of her paperwork then spills glue on it from her wooden 'space' project.

"Err…of course, you're always right." I smiled. My mom started to cry.

"When did you get so mature? Darn it! Now how am I supposed to teach you about life?" My mom wailed.

"M-Mom, I'm uh going to go see Ryuu. Go drink some milk." I tried to comfort her and then walked towards the door. I guess my mom is really emotional over everything. I just wish she was more adult-like so I wouldn't have to care for my little sister, Ai, all the time. But she is reliable at times like when I was younger, even if she was late for work, she would bring me to school everyday.

"Ryuu, I'm glad to see you!" I hugged Ryuu as I went to the door. Ryuu hugged back. I still didn't feel it. My heart did not race, I wasn't blissfully happy, and his face still pops up. The only person I could think about is Kunimitsu even when I was hugging Ryuu.

"Hey, Ryuu, have you ever fallen in love?" I knew it was a stupid question to ask but Ryuu has always been smarter and more experienced than I ever was.

"Well, love can have different emotions released. Like when it's a one-sided affection towards another, the feeling is lonely and sometimes painful. But when the feeling is mutual and you're dating the one you like, you have the blissfully happy feelings and there are times when you get jealous when someone is flirting with the one you like."

Ryuu has a really good analysis. I wish I was more like Ryuu. I do feel happy when I'm with Kunimitsu but there always seems to be a wall and there are times when he seems so far away and distant. I just want to break his walls and touch the heart inside. I know my feelings for him are different. I always wondered why I couldn't fall in love with anyone but I know now that it was because I was already in love with one person, Tezuka Kunimitsu.

Ryuu and I sat down on the steps outside of my house. We sat in silence watching the night sky. It reminded me a lot about Kunimitsu when I first met him at the festival years ago. He was really nice even when I was hopelessly lost and clumsy. Even when we were just kids studying at each other's house, I found it to be very fun.

* * *

"_Kunimitsu, I love you!" I yelled out loud. I then ran up to him and gave him a huge hug. Kunimitsu looked at me and then smiled. His smiles were always so wonderful because it made me want to hug him forever._

"_Kunimitsu is so cute! One day, you're going to get a girlfriend." I told him. It was true, Kunimitsu has always been attractive. He's like a magnet, attracting everything around him. He stands out and gives off an aura saying 'I'm Tezuka Kunimitsu'. That's what makes him special._

"_I don't need a girlfriend. I need to focus on my studies and tennis." Kunimitsu replied calmly. We were at his house studying. I felt kind of hurt that he didn't include me, his good friend, in the things he needed to focus on._

"_Is tennis and school all you ever think about? Aren't I important?" I asked softly. I didn't think his hearing was good._

"_Hn?" Kunimitsu looked at me, keeping his attention toward me with his deep, gentle set of brown eyes._

"_Oh, nothing!" I shuffled my feet and began to walk out to use the restroom but I tripped and fell right on top of Kunimitsu. That was also the day I lost my first kiss._

* * *

Though, the more I stood beside Kunimitsu, the more he seemed to drift away form my grasp. I didn't want him to leave my side so I vowed to remain by his. This is my bond of love for him. I will always be devoted to him. Even if I don't get my feelings returned. I'll stay his 'best friend' so I can stay near him.

"Katou, you're spacing out. If you do that, I'll kiss you." Ryuu grinned.

"Ryuu, you don't really like me. And I can't return your feelings." Kunimitsu will always be the one in my heart as the one that I love more than a friend.

"Ha-ha, it's that ice king that you're in love with, right?"

"He may be made of ice but there is an eternal flame burning beneath those walls of never melting ice." I knew Kunimitsu more than anyone but it didn't mean I knew everything. Even though there are times when I do not understand him, I'll still be there. Even an ice man has a heart.

"Katou?" I heard his deep voice. My heart began to speed up. My head looked up to see his perfect face. I guess I'll still remain his friend just until I'm sure of his feelings for me. I smiled at him then ran to give him a hug.

"I love you, Kunimitsu!" Kunimitsu didn't move but he did pat my head gently. I looked up to see his eyes. They were showing me that he was happy. Kunimitsu still confuses me because just a second ago he seemed puzzled and angry when he saw me and Ryuu sitting together on the steps of my home.

I guess I still don't know him as much as I thought I did.

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: The "Honeysuckle" in the title means "Devoted affection, bonds of love". Please leave a review. ^ ^**


	44. Sakuno's Confession: White Clover

**A/N: Hope you like this chap! ^ ^**

**Warning: 1****st**** person POV for Sakuno.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own POT**

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Those three simple words…are embarrassing. It's so hard to say it to the person I want to say it to. People say he is a cold person and Tomo-chan told me I should give up but no matter how hard I try, I always end up falling in love with him all over again when I see him having fun just playing tennis. I even went to the lengths of telling myself that he could get any girl he wants and that there are a million prettier fans then me. Yes, I have little confidence in myself.

I've always been the shyest girl in the class also the clumsiest. When it came to looks, I was only average. But then I started to seek a change in myself. When I met Ryoma-kun, I felt that I could change. I also started to play tennis because of him. He played so well and was excellent in it. He has the looks, the talent, and he's really cool. He's also crowded by fans all the time. We are two different people, almost exact opposites.

Yet, he still taught me how to play tennis, he still protected me from the bullies, and he became my friend. But the more time I spent with him, the harder it was to not fall in love with him. I thought I needed to change and maybe, if I played tennis, I would become closer to him.

That's why everyday I train and do my best. That's why I put up with Sakamoto-sempai's killer training. That's why I joined the girls' tennis team in the first place. I wanted to change and maybe make Ryoma-kun notice me.

But I lost in every important match I went to in our tournaments. I always lost while everyone else won. I may have won matches against the people who weren't that great in tennis but when it was really important, when I really needed to win, I lost. So I trained even harder.

When will I ever get Ryoma-kun's attention and when will I ever win a match in my next tournament?

"Sakuno-chan, let's play tennis together!" I could hear Tomo-chan's loud voice anywhere. I remembered that we agreed to go to the park and play a little tennis. Tomo-chan suddenly asked for it. I nodded and we both began to walk towards the park together. I would be wearing the standard tennis clothes but Tomo-chan wore something a bit sporty yet normal.

"Uh, Tomo-chan, why did you want to suddenly play tennis with me? I thought you were going to take care of your siblings today."

"Well, I had someone take over and besides, I'm not the only one who wants to play tennis with you." She grinned. I didn't understand what she meant until we reached the park. All of my sempais were there, waving at me and Tomo-chan.

"Tomo-chan, what's going on?" I asked.

"I told you, we're playing tennis."

"Yeah, I know but did you invite them?" I pointed at my sempais.

"Actually, they wanted me to ask you to play tennis and Katou-sempai had something to say to you." Tomo-chan replied.

I wonder why captain Katou had something to say to me. She never really had to much to say to me except give me advice and guide me like any other sempai would do. Tomo-chan and I greeted the members but captain Katou asked me to follow her to a nearby tree and watch the others play tennis.

As we were watching the others play, captain Katou remained silent. I couldn't understand her. I know she really likes Tezuka-sempai, you could see it in her eyes whenever she greets him. But she's just like me, unable to confess for real because of the fear of rejection.

"It is fun watching other people play tennis, right?" captain Katou finally spoke up. She surprised me. She usually is always stating orders and putting up a tough leader act even though she's usually nice.

"Um, yeah." I replied, not really knowing the meaning of her question.

"Do you see how much fun everyone's having? It's the pure love of tennis that brings me and everyone else together. When you first came here, did you want to play tennis?"

Captain Katou is always so sharp. There are times when you wonder is she's really sharp or really dense, really smart or really dumb, or really deep or shallow. Maybe she's all of them just at different times and with different people.

"Truthfully, no I didn't play tennis because I thought it was fun. I played tennis to get closer to someone but the more I played tennis the more fun it was then after a while, I began to wonder why tennis didn't seem so fun anymore." I truthfully told her. Sometimes, it's easy talking to captain Katou because she just sits there a listens. I was always the one listening to other people but it feels nice to have it the other way around for once.

"That's because you train, not for the love of tennis, but because you want to get closer to someone. Honestly, that's a waste of time." Katou's voice became a bit cold. But she was right. No matter how hard I trained, I still could not catch up to Ryoma-kun.

"Sakuno, tennis is a game with a racket and a ball; it's as simple as that. There's no need to make it complicated and use tennis as a tool. Tennis is a game and games are meant to be played. Games are for fun. Now tell me, are you having fun?"

Tears started to stream down my face. I never played tennis for fun and I thought I liked it. "No, I just wanted to be closer to Ryoma-kun." I told her, letting myself cry as much as I could.

Captain Katou stayed quiet and didn't talk. I think she was letting me cry my heart out and wait for me to calm down so she could speak. She sure is something different but different in a good way.

After I calmed down, captain Katou handed me some cherry ponta. I took it and drank some. Then she began to talk. "When Kunimitsu played tennis, I liked his style and eventually I tried my hand in tennis as well. I was like you, training everyday but still not good enough to defeat the person I wanted to beat the most. I found no fun in playing tennis so I quit. Kunimitsu shortly after, tried to quit too. He said he didn't want to play tennis if he was going to play against some violent seniors who use rackets as weapons. And you know what, I was mad. I didn't want him to quit tennis."

Captain Katou stopped and looked at the sky. I think she wanted to give me some time to think about it or maybe she was trying to remember about it.

"He injured his left arm, the one he uses for tennis. I quit tennis because I didn't like it but he quit tennis because he didn't like the people who played him. I had to make him go back because that's what he loved to do and my duty as a best friend was to help and support him. I took tennis back up again and challenged him to a match. I didn't know about his injured arm so I won."

Captain Katou's eyes turned sad but I kept listening.

"I didn't like that so I yelled at him and told him that the real Tezuka Kunimitsu would not quit the thing he loves the most for any reason at all. Soon after, he went back into tennis but it was probably because of the current captain of their team. I felt sad that I didn't get to have an impact on him. Then later, when his arm was healed, I played against him in tennis." Katou smiled.

She stayed silent. I wondered if she was waiting foe me to ask her about the results and I think she might've won since his arm might've just been healed and he would put too much strain on it. "Um, so did you win?" I asked.

"I lost. But I felt happy. Isn't that strange? It's because I had fun playing with him just like when we used to when we were kids. And then tennis became a sport I've come to love but it isn't my life. Now Sakuno, tell me, is tennis fun?"

Katou made a point. I looked at my other sempais and noticed that they each had a burning desire to have fun. Each looked so happy to be playing a match against each other. It made me feel like I wanted to join in just for fun.

"No, tennis isn't fun but…I really want to enjoy it so I'll keep playing until I do." I told her. Captain Katou just smiled and we both went down to play with the others, just to enjoy tennis.

* * *

After we played tennis for a while, I noticed that I was no longer in the same level as I was before. You see, I played against Tomo-chan. Even without practicing, she was able to play very well. She was higher than a beginner but not really regular material. But when I played her, I won 6 – love easily. But when I played against the others like Amane-sempai and Usio-sempai, I would always lose.

I think it was because I'm higher than most people, thanks to my training, but still lower than the best. I wish I was like Ryoma-kun. No matter how tough the matches and the players got, he always got stronger and won.

But that aside…I think I was lost. Tomo-chan helped me get to the park but I couldn't find my way back home. Wah…am I cursed? My sense of direction will always be hopeless.

"Ryuzaki, you still suck at directions." A voice, a familiar one, said. Then I felt something being placed on my head. It was a white fila cap. I turned around to see Ryoma-kun with his racket and standing there.

"R-Ryoma-kun…" He always surprises me every time.

"Hn, I guess I'll have to take you home again." He sighed.

"Sorry for the trouble." I frowned. I always cause trouble for him.

"Don't worry about it, just follow me." He then walked past me, walking ahead. I silently followed. I feel bad. I'm always causing trouble for him. It a surprise that he still is around me.

I then stopped walking. "Um, Ryoma-kun…" I waited for his response. Ryoma-kun stopped and turned around.

"Hn?"

"Thank you, for always being there for me and uh helping me out and getting me out of trouble." I slightly blushed.

"It's not a problem but you cause me too much trouble all of the time. It gets annoying." He replied honestly. Ryoma-kun has always been blunt and quick with words. That habit always gets him in trouble.

"I'm so sor-…" I got cut off.

"Don't worry about it. Have more confidence in yourself, Ryuzaki." Ryoma-kun turned around and began to walk again. Somehow, what he just said made me gain more confidence in myself.

"Um, Ryoma-kun…when I finish the nationals and win 1st place, I'll tell you something I've always wanted to say." I promised him but I don't think Ryoma-kun knew what I meant or what I secretly promised him.

"Why don't you tell me now and save all of that waiting?" He asked. I smiled at him.

"Because I'll have more self confidence and be a better me by then…" I whispered.

"Hn?" Ryoma-kun looked confused but that's what makes him kind of cute. I smiled and walked a few steps in front of him then looked from left to right.

"Um…I think my house is left." I turned to my left but Ryoma-kun stopped me.

"It's actually right." He turned my head to the right path. I pouted and insisted that it was on the left. Ryoma-kun was just stubborn and told me that it was right. But this made me smile. At least we didn't grow farther apart.

We finally settled on the right path because Ryoma-kun spun his racket to decide and he got lucky. When we were walking side by side to my house I heard him mutter something with a small smile on his face.

"Weird girl…"

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"_**Confidence and improvements come from other people's compliments and constructive criticism. When people review on a story, it fuels the author's energy and makes them write a great story until the very last word."**_

**A/N: Yes a "White Clover" in the title is a flower and its meaning is "I promise". This is the last chapter for the "Princess of Tennis" remake. I hoped all of you enjoyed every bit of the gang.**

**If you still want more, I'm making a sequel called "Princess of Tennis: National Arc" so keep a lookout for it. This time, it will show the whole gang back again, telling you about the tennis matches in the nationals and how the relationships are going.**

**I thank all of my reviewers.**

**Please leave a review. ^ ^**


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